Barry Dock RNLI prepare to welcome home new Shannon class lifeboat

The lifeboat, which will be primarily funded thanks to a generous legacy by the late Mr Richard Colton - who left and extraordinary gift to the RNLI in his Will – two Ferrari cars, is due to arrive at Barry Dock RNLI Lifeboat Station on Sunday 17 March.

The second Shannon class lifeboat funded by Mr Colton’s legacy, Barry Dock’s new lifeboat is expected to be welcomed by crowds of onlookers as she performs a special display with neighbouring lifeboats.

One man with a special reason for sending his best wishes to the station on this historic occasion is Tom Skinner, who was dramatically rescued by the Barry Dock and Penarth crew on Boxing Day last year. Tom was out in his rowing boat, as part of his training for the World’s Toughest Row. He was 20 minutes into the training session when suddenly he found himself in difficulty and ended up overboard in the 8°C December water.

Tom was recently reunited with the Barry Dock RNLI crew as they were making the final preparations for the arrival of their new lifeboat. The dad of two made the journey from his home in Leytonstone London to say a special thank you and to see the Trent class lifeboat which came to his rescue for the last time. He says:

‘I am so glad I was able to visit Barry Dock and say a very special thank you to the crew. It was amazing to meet them all, especially during a time when there is so much anticipation and excitement. I remember how lonely a place it was being out there and in real need of help, but they came to my aid when I needed them most and now the least I can do is wish them well.

‘It was nice to be able to see their current all-weather Trent class lifeboat which rescued me, before this is replaced by the Shannon, I don’t imagine I’ll ever see that boat again and I owe it so much. These volunteers are incredible and deserve the very best kit and equipment, so I’m really thrilled that they are to receive a brand new state of the art lifeboat. I wish them all the very best with their trip back to south Wales and hope to get to see the new lifeboat when I next visit.’

The Myristica Trust has also made a very generous contribution towards the new Shannon Class Lifeboat. These donations will greatly impact Barry Dock community and help support the continuation of RNLI lifesaving activity in the area for years to come.

On route to Wales, the RNLI crew will visit a number of lifeboat stations on route home. The volunteer crew will be stopping in Guernsey overnight on Wednesday, then to Falmouth on Thursday, followed by a day of training in southwest Cornwall and staying overnight in Newlyn. On Saturday, they’ll continue up the coast to Swansea, before reaching their new home on Sunday.

On Sunday morning, the lifeboat is expected to reach Cold Knap Point at 11.25am, it will then make its way towards Barry Dock Harbour where it will arrive at 12.00pm.

Public viewing will be possible off Friars Point, Whitmore Bay promenade and Nells Point. Spectators can enjoy a 10–15-minute demonstration in Whitmore Bay starting at 11.30am.

Barry Dock Lifeboat Station was established in 1901, the crew recently moved into a new purpose-built lifeboat station in September 2023, the arrival of the Shannon is another exciting development for Barry Dock RNLI. The new Shannon will replace their current Trent Class Inner Wheel II.

Andy Gavan, Coxswain at Barry Dock Lifeboat Station said:

‘On behalf of all at Barry Dock RNLI, I would like to thank the family of Mr Richard Colton for the extraordinary legacy that was left to the RNLI as well as the Myristica Trust for their hugely generous contribution which will fund our new Shannon class lifeboat.

‘This is a very exciting time for all the volunteer team at Barry Dock Lifeboat Station; we’ve moved into our building and are now looking forward to welcoming our new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat to Barry Dock, in the bicentenary year.

‘Welcoming a new lifeboat will be a new chapter in Barry Dock RNLI’s longstanding history, but with this brings even more training commitments and dedication for the crew. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers, their families, and employers for their continued support over what will be a busy – but exciting – few months. ’

The RNLI relies on donations to be able to continue to save lives at sea. To donate visit: Donate to the RNLI and help save lives at sea

Notes to editors

· Spokespeople from Barry Dock RNLI will be available on Sunday for interviews

· A testimonial from Tom Skinner is available below.

Media Contacts

For more information please contact Anya Walton Media Engagement Placement [email protected] or 07977468268 or Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith Regional Communications Manager [email protected] or 07977728315. Alternatively, please contact the RNLI Press Office [email protected] or 01202336789.

A testimonial from Tom Skinner is available here:

Tom Skinner was out in his rowing boat, as part of his training for the World’s Toughest Row. He was 20 minutes into the training session when suddenly he found himself in difficulty and ended up overboard in the 8°C December water.

‘As I turned the boat… the currents were pushing me out further down the coast, but there was a headwind, beam onto the waves the boast span round and just tipped me in.

‘When you hit the water at 8°C, and I’m not someone who swims in water at that temperature, it really does literally take your breath away. I did take a minute or two to get used to that temperature, because it is just so cold when you first go in.’

It was in these first few moments that Tom knew not to panic, critically he managed to stay calm and regulate his breathing. Once his breathing was under control he attempted to swim towards the boat, but soon realised the current was just too strong to get anywhere near it and the cold water was quickly depleting his energy.

‘That was the moment when I began to think; “I’m in a bit of trouble here.” I knew the only chance I had at this point was just to conserve as much energy as possible, but it’s a pretty lonely place out there.’

With basic muscle movement proving more difficult the longer Tom was submerged in the very cold water, the dad of two from Leytonstone, London, managed to reach around and find the handheld radio in the small kit bag on his waist.

‘At that temperature everything just becomes very difficult, thinking becomes harder, moving your muscles around becomes more difficult to do simple things.’

Having managed to relay a Mayday call via his radio before it stopped working due to the cold water, Tom remained floating on his back trying to conserve as much energy as possible in the hope he would be found.

The Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at St Athan was first on scene, but separated from his boat, Tom was just a tiny speck in a vast open sea and the helicopter crew were unable to spot him.

Meanwhile the volunteer crew onboard Barry Dock’s Inner Wheel II had launched and were carrying out their search pattern taking into account the conditions, state of the tide and last known location where Tom had entered the water.

Feeling completely exhausted and with his energy draining by the minute, Tom was struggling to remain fully conscious.

‘I did start to think this might be it… I’ve got a 7-year-old and a 5-year-old, it’s Boxing Day, I started to think about them. Think about my wife hearing the news and that was pretty tough, I felt crushing guilt.’

Floating on his back but drifting in and out of consciousness, it wasn’t until Barry Dock’s Inner Wheel II was right behind Tom with the crew shouting for his attention, did he realise that he was being rescued.

‘All of a sudden over my shoulder, I didn’t hear them coming – I mean lifeboats make a lot of noise, they were there and I could hear everybody calling. They were almost on top of me before I realised they were there.’

Andy Gavan Coxswain of the lifeboat, recalls the moment they spotted something in the water and made the approach:

‘Seeing that object… as you get closer you realise that is a person. You see a hand slowly come up, that relief that he’s alive and conscious… that relief is hard explain.

‘It’s like when a wave goes over you, it parks everything else of that “What if” you were thinking. And then that wave washes over you and then suddenly you’ve got a new set of elements to start thinking about, another set of goals and tasks to start thinking about – which immediately kicks in.’

Under the command of Andy and with all the crew relying on their specialist training, they quicky worked together to lift Tom out of the water and onto the lifeboat. Some of the crew began assessing Tom’s condition and administering casualty care first aid, whilst the boat headed back to shore.

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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