Falmouth RNLI volunteer crew member qualifies as an Afloat Mechanic
Congratulations to Cadan Harris who recently passed his final assessment to qualify as an Afloat Mechanic on the station’s Shannon class all-weather lifeboat, complimenting his current roles as an Inshore Lifeboat Helm and Inshore Lifeboat mechanic.
Caden joined the station as crew in January 2019 and passed out as an inshore lifeboat helm in April 2022 and later became the inshore lifeboat mechanic. When asked why he joined the crew, Caden said:
‘I’ve been interested in lifeboats since I was a boy, visiting stations when possible and hoping to join a crew one day. Becoming a mechanic is something I’ve wanted to do since I joined.’
The afloat mechanics play an essential role, managing and maintaining the lifeboat's machinery and onboard systems whilst at sea, overseeing communications with the Coastguard and casualties and coordinating responses to onboard emergencies, such as fires, flooding or breakdowns.
Caden’s final assessment involved the station’s Shannon class all-weather lifeboat RNLB Decibel II proceeding out to sea under the command of Coxswain Adam West to facilitate RNLI Regional Plant and Machinery Assessor Matt Parr to undertake a full set of operational drills and emergency scenarios with Cadan, testing his knowledge and skills. This is the culmination of twelve month of intensive training on station with the team of mechanics and at the Lifeboat College in Poole to ensure he is ready for this role.
Station Coxswain Luke Wills said: A massive congratulations to Cadan on his achievement, we are all incredibly proud to have him on station, the skills and experience he brings to the role are crucial. My thanks to all the team who have supported Cadan through his training, it is truly a team effort to pass on the skills and knowledge to the future generations, this role is crucial to maintain a 24/7 all-weather lifeboat capability in the port of Falmouth.
Notes to editors
· Photo. Credit RNLI/Simon Culliford
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