Newly qualified helm for Fowey RNLI inshore lifeboat
On Tuesday April 9, RNLI volunteer Luke ‘Boris’ Watts passed out as a qualified helm, after completing his training to take command of Fowey RNLI’s D class inshore lifeboat, Olive Three.
Boris, who recently featured in an episode about a Fowey lifeboat rescue on the BBC TV programme, Saving Lives at Sea, works for Fowey Harbour and lives in Fowey. Much of his spare time is spent at the lifeboat station and on the lifeboats, training and responding to shouts. He joined Fowey station as a volunteer shore crew member in December 2020 and has since qualified as an all-weather and D class crew member and as a navigator. Living and working close to the lifeboat station means he’s ready to respond 24/7 when the pager goes off.
Boris said: ‘I was nervous before the final assessments but once completed I was very pleased with the outcome. Now looking forward to taking all that I’ve learnt so far and putting it into real life shouts, saving people at sea and keeping the crew and boat safe’
Weekly RNLI training exercises focus on teamwork, technical competence and safe operating procedures covering everything from boat-handling, search and rescue, and navigation, to radar training, radio communications and casualty care. Much of the training is scenario-based with one of the station’s LTA’s, allowing crew to work through the processes as a team to ensure the best outcome. Training can also involve exercises with the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter and training courses at the RNLI lifeboat college in Poole.
With a top speed of 25 knots, Fowey’s D class lifeboat can endure 3 hours at sea at this speed on search and rescue missions – a crucial factor when lives are at risk. The inshore lifeboat can access areas inaccessible to Fowey’s all-weather lifeboat, such as close to cliffs, rocks and inside caves and it will be Boris’s job to make sure everyone who goes out to sea returns to shore safely.
Fowey Coxswain, Jonathan Pritchard said: ‘Boris is a very enthusiastic and active member of the Fowey lifeboat crew. He has personally attended 207 afloat training exercises and 54 lifeboat launches, clocking up a total of over 702 volunteer hours during this time. If something needs doing at the station he is always one of the first to volunteer to help. Boris has worked very hard to complete his training and I, along with everyone at the station would like to congratulate him on his achievement as a fully passed out D class helm.’
Anyone interested in volunteering for the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea, can find further details at rnli.org/support-us/volunteer
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
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.