Lawrie joins the Oban mechanics
Our congratulations to Oban Lifeboat volunteer crew member Lawrie Cerexhe who this week passed her final assessment to qualify as a mechanic.
Lawrie rounded off over a year of training in Oban and at the lifeboat college in Dorset with a lengthy series of tests, set by an independent assessor, afloat onboard Oban’s Shannon Class lifeboat, 13-50 The Campbell-Watson.
“The final assessment was pretty daunting,” says Lawrie.
“The RNLI sets a high bar for what they expect, and the assessor simulated all sorts of mechanical and computer problems that any of us might be faced with out on a shout.
“I was pretty relieved to pass.”
Lawrie, who is also Oban Lifeboat’s Water Safety Officer, is now part of a six strong mechanics team of two women and four men led by Senior Station Technician, Tom Kennedy.
She joined Stranraer Lifeboat in 2013, where she was working on Stena Line ferries to Northern Ireland, and transferred to Oban Lifeboat when she moved to the town in 2019.
In her day job, Lawrie is a coxswain on the boats serving Glensanda Quarry.
“Boats of all sizes are a big part of my life,” she admits.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 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.