New Lifeboat Mechanic for RNLI Moelfre
We all at Moelfre Lifeboat Station would like to congratulate and welcome Aled Owen, who will officially become a full-time mechanic at Moelfre on April 22, 2024.
From an early age, Aled was passionate about being on the water. The lifeboat station crew often saw him passing the boathouse to the best fishing spots in his small eight-foot tender powered by a Seagull engine. As he got older, he took an interest in tinkering with cars. He would often be found with his head under the bonnet, modifying his or anybody else's car, which required his self-taught mechanical ability.
Aled isn’t the only member of his family to have been a lifeboatman at RNLI Moelfre, his great-uncle Hugh Jones was involved in one of the RNLI’s greatest rescues when the 500-ton coaster Hindlea got into difficulties in hurricane-force winds on October 27, 1959. For their bravery, Coxswain Dic Evans was awarded the RNLI Gold Medal, Evan Owens received the silver medal, and Hugh and two other crew members the bronze medal.
During his time at Moelfre lifeboat station, Aled has been involved in many rescues, and when asked which was his most memorable, Aled said,
“They have all been memorable, but the one that sticks in my mind is the shout we had back in 2018. On a cold February morning, we heard that a father and son were missing after Kayaking off Traeth Lligwy. We launched ‘Kiwi,’ our all-weather lifeboat, to the last known location of an upturned kayak; as we were making our way past Ynys Dulas, we spotted what appeared to be a child standing on the rocks, To cut a long story short, the father and son’s lives were saved that day, without our intervention they would not have survived.
Having already completed much of the RNLI mechanics training as a volunteer, he will now spend time shadowing the full-time Coxswain/ Mechanic Vince Jones and working alongside the covering relief mechanics at the station, learning the ropes, and adapting to full-time ‘station life’, along with completing any other additional courses required.
Aled's journey continues further. He will also have the valuable opportunity to spend time at other stations, learning from their full-time coxswains and mechanics. This cross-station learning will enhance his skills and bring back new insights for our team.
Aled is also a trainee ILB helm at Moelfre and has vowed to continue progressing in his Helm development. He hopes to be passed out before the busy summer season.
For further information, please contact Phil Williams, Moelfre Lifeboat Press Officer, on 07773 979910,
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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