Manx RNLI volunteers welcomed a special guest earlier this week as the charity’s Chairman Charles Hunter-Pease met station, shop and branch volunteers on an official tour of the Island.
Over the two-day tour the RNLI Chairman visited all five of the Island’s lifeboat stations and presented various awards to thank long-serving RNLI volunteers for their dedication to saving lives at sea.
The Island tour started on Monday as Charles visited Port Erin lifeboat station to meet the lifeboat crew and fundraising team, followed by a visit to Thie Rosen to see the ‘Drama at Sea: a story of the RNLI in the South of Mann’ exhibition. The Chairman then travelled to Douglas to pay his respects to the charity’s founder as he joined RNLI volunteer Michael Howland at Sir William’s statue on Douglas head and Sir William Hillary’s grave. The first day of the Manx tour was completed by a warm welcome by Port St Mary RNLI volunteers as the Chairman met the station’s crew and fundraising team.
The second day was equally as busy as Charles visited Ramsey and Peel lifeboat stations before attending the charity’s All Island Meeting and Awards Ceremony at the Douglas Yacht Club in the evening. Ramsey’s full-time Mechanic Ali Clague and Peel RNLI Coxswain/Mechanic were both presented with the RNLI’s bronze award for their years of service to saving lives at sea.
Manx RNLI lifeboat volunteers launched the Island’s lifeboats 49 times last year, rescuing 78 people and saving one life.
Photo - The Chairman meets Port Erin RNLI volunteers. Courstesy of RNLI.
