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Lifeboat Crew
The Dart crew is made up of over 70 volunteers, ready to launch to people in trouble on the water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our lifesaving service is powered by dedicated volunteers and unwavering support from kind people in Dartmouth and beyond. Together, we save lives at sea.
Our crew
Find out more about some of our crew and their roles.
Iain 'Yorkie' Lomas
Lifeboat Operations Manager and crew member
Yorkie joined Dart RNLI when the station reopened in 2007 and has held many roles, including crew member of both boats and D-Class helm. The all-action builder, who was part of a team that rowed the Atlantic in 2004, took over the lead LOM role in November 2024, overseeing the opening of the new station.
Rich Eggleton
Helm and crew member
A 20-year RNLI volunteer, who received his long-service award from Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, a Vice President of the RNLI, at the opening of the new Dart Lifeboat Station by HRH The Princess Royal in April 2026. A marine pilot in Dartmouth and Plymouth, Rich joined Dart in 2011 after five years with Tower RNLI in London.
Mark Strudwick
Tractor driver
Mark joined Dart Lifeboat at the start, back in 2007, as a Deputy Launch Authority and tractor mechanic. Runs the small ferry boat business which takes passengers to and from Dartmouth Castle from the quayside. In April 2017 Mark took over the position of Lifeboat Operations Manager, running the station until 2012.
Shannon Hart
Crew member
Shannon is Dart RNLI’s youngest crew member, after joining the station in 2024. Initially part of the shore crew, she is now qualified to crew both the B-Class Atlantic and the D-Class lifeboats. A dairy farmer by profession, she is daughter of long-standing Dart volunteer Buster Hart.
Dave 'Buster' Hart
Mechanic and tractor driver
Dave Hart, also known as Buster, was a helm from 2009 to 2025 after volunteering to become one of the crew when the station was being set up in 2007. He was born in Dartmouth, not far from the lifeboat station. Since he stopped playing rugby he has taken up cycling and rowing, and is the proud father of Shannon, Dart RNLI’s youngest crew member.
Tatty Pettigrew
Helm and crew member
Tatty joined the crew in 2021, starting as shore crew and tractor driver before progressing to the boat. In 2024, Tatty became the first female helm at Dart Lifeboat. An outdoor instructor and rower, Tatty spends most of her time on the water.
Mark Conroy
Tractor driver and crew member
Volunteered to join RNLI Dart in 2010 and came with no previous boating experience. Since then, he has advanced his training onshore and afloat, both at the lifeboat station and at the RNLI HQ in Poole. A builder by trade, Mark is a keen rower and a member of Dart Gig Club.
Tom Shanley
Helm and crew member
Joined in March 2017 as part of the shore crew before moving to full boat crew, and the Atlantic in 2019. Now one of the helms as well. Part of the sales team at RibEye boats in Dartmouth, and loves spending life on the water. Featured nationally in the RNLI 2025 Mayday Mile appeal.
Lee Darch
Helm and crew member
A crew member for Dart lifeboat since 2009, Lee has lived in Dartmouth since 1988. Working as assistant operations area manager for Education South West, he is in charge of maintenance teams for six schools. Lee joined the RNLI because he used to work as an outdoor pursuit instructor teaching kayaking, canoeing, sailing and power boating.
Be an operational volunteer
You are the frontline in saving lives. You are on call 24 hours a day, ready to drop everything and get to the station at a moment's notice. If you live within 10 minutes drive from our station, and have the determination to succeed, we'd like to hear from you. Previous maritime experience is not required.
Be a fundraising and events volunteer
Lifesaving depends on people giving up their time and energy – people just like you. Our volunteers raise vital funds to pay for things like kit and training to keep volunteer crews safe. As part of our fundraising volunteer crew you’ll be helping to raise vital funds too.
As a fundraising volunteer you decide how much time to give, and when. That way you can fit your RNLI volunteering around your other commitments. And, like your fundraising crew mates, you’ll get a warm glow from knowing you are helping to save every one.
Be a water safety volunteer
Every year our lifeboat crews and lifeguards save the lives of hundreds of people and rescue thousands more. The RNLI Water Safety Team save lives by giving advice that helps people enjoy the water safely, and stops them from getting into trouble in the first place.
Our water safety volunteers are crucial in helping to achieve this aim by providing free education and water safety advice to all who visit the coast, from school groups to walkers, commercial fishermen to college students.