Family attend 200th anniversary concert to thank Barry Dock RNLI crew

The evening featured a brass band concert from Barry Brass Band, and included the presentation of the RNLI standard by volunteer Crew Member Dave Phillips. Speaking of being asked to carry out this honour, Dave said:

‘I was so proud to be part of such a momentous occasion.’

The congregation were welcomed by the Chairman of Barry Dock RNLI, Stuart McMillan. During his address, Stuart revealed the number of lives saved by the RNLI charity over it’s 200 year history as being over 146,000, which he described as an ‘incredible service to humanity’.

He also paid tribute to the entire volunteer crew of Barry Dock RNLI of over 100 people, who all ‘work as one crew to keep the life saving wheel oiled and turning’.

Barry Dock RNLI were also honoured to have some special guests attending the service. The family of a casualty that was rescued in a multi-agency rescue wanted to attend the concert to share their thanks with the entire volunteer crew.

On Boxing Day (26 December 2023) the volunteer crew of Barry Dock Lifeboat Station were tasked alongside Penarth RNLI to search for a casualty off Lavernock Point, on the South Wales coast.

The casualty had fallen overboard from their small rowing craft and was struggling to get back on board. Fortunately the casualty had a means of calling for help with him and was able to alert the coastguard, who launched a multi-agency rescue which ended with the positive result of the casualty being found, given casualty care and brought safely back to shore.

Speaking to the crew after the concert, the family emotionally told us:

‘We watched the crews work on Saving Lives At Sea on the television all the time, but now it’s real for us. We can never repay the crew for saving our family member's life. It doesn’t bear thinking about if the RNLI weren’t there that day. We can’t thank the crew enough’.

Speaking after the event, Barry Dock Coxswain Andy Gavan said:

‘We, our volunteer crew, regularly train hard for all eventualities that could present when the pager sounds. That sound means someone is in difficulty or distress, where our skills and knowledge we practice come into their own.

'On Boxing Day our crew came to the rescue of a casualty in distress and that casualty's life was saved. Meeting the casualty’s family at our RNLI 200 celebrations in All Saints Church brings home the reality of why we do what we do. No one questions why, we just do it.’

Notes to Editor

• For more information about Barry Dock RNLI visit https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/barry-dock-lifeboat-station
• To keep up to date with plans for how Barry Dock RNLI will be welcoming in our new Shannon class lifeboat visit https://www.facebook.com/barry.rnli

RNLI Media Contacts

• Amy Mills, Barry Dock Lifeboat Press Officer: [email protected]
• Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, Regional Communications Manager: [email protected]
• RNLI press office: 01202 336789 / [email protected]

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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