Weymouth lifeboat crew member retires after 36 years of saving lives
Weymouth RNLI lifeboat crew member Graham Keates has hung up his lifejacket after 36 years of saving lives at sea and retired as a volunteer from the lifeboat crew.
Graham was the last serving member of the crew with a RNLI Bronze Medal for bravery. The medal was awarded to Graham for his part in the service on the night of the infamous hurricane when the lifeboat was launched to go to the assistance of the catamaran
Storm Chaser.
A function to celebrate the exemplary service that Graham has given to the RNLI was held on Saturday 31 March 2018 at Weymouth Sailing Club. Family, friends, crew members past and present gathered together to give Graham a right royal send off.
Lifeboat Coxswain Andy Sargent said: 'RNLI electronic records which started in 1994, 12 years after Graham joined the crew, show that Graham has completed 564 shouts totalling 1,232 hours at sea. Rescuing 856 people and saving 93 lives.'
He presented Graham with a gift from the station of a painting featuring all of the lifeboats that Graham had served on and then in a speech recalled some of the shouts that Graham had been called out on.
RNLI Lifeboats Operations Manager for Weymouth lifeboat station Malcolm Wright gave a speech in which he praised Graham for his dedication to the RNLI over such a long time, he then presented Graham with a certificate from the RNLI that thanked him for his 36 years of service.
The Keates dynasty will carry on though on Weymouth lifeboat, with Graham's son Matthew a volunteer crew member and also a trainer at RNLI Headquarters in Poole. While Graham's son in law Tye Shuttleworth is a volunteer crew and deputy coxswain on the lifeboat.
Graham says that he will not be cutting all ties with the lifeboat station as he is to take on the roll of shore based mentor to new crew members.
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 146,000 lives.
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