Looe RNLI volunteer Helm Clive Palfrey is a local hero

The Pirate FM Local Heroes Awards recognise members of the community who go the extra mile to help others. Following a nomination by Nick Pope, one of Looe Lifeboat Station’s deputy launching authorities, Clive Palfrey received the Cornish Coastal Rescue award during Friday night’s ceremony at the Tregenna Castle Resort, St Ives.

In his nomination Nick Pope refers to Clive drawing on his knowledge of the local fishing community and his experience as one of Looe Lifeboat Station’s volunteer inshore lifeboat helms to be one of the main leads in the design and implementation of the #wearitforthem life jacket project. Led by Plymouth City Council, this project’s objectives are to reduce the number of fishermen’s lives lost at sea, by providing life saving equipment with in built locator beacons so fishing crews will be safer at sea.

At the award ceremony Clive’s 16 years service with Looe RNLI, his involvement in major rescues off the Cornish Coast and tireless efforts to help keep fishermen safe at sea were all recognised.

In accepting the award Clive recalled some of the shouts lifeboat crews have been involved with over the years. Clive has first hand knowledge of incidents which have ended in tragedy for the fishing community and explained how life jackets, fitted with locator beacons, can alert the Coastguard service immediately as the incident unfolds and help to direct lifeboat crews quicker to a specific search area.

Clive goes on to say that he was surprised to be nominated for this award and felt he was receiving the award on behalf of all the organisations involved. He is currently working with Torbay and Cornwall councils on similar projects and his ambition is for this project to be adopted to provide safety equipment to fishermen across the whole of the country.

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Notes for Editors:

• Sponsored by Ann’s Cottage Surf & Lifestyle Stores the Pirate FM Local Hero Cornish Coastal Rescue award is “Awarded to a person who has gone beyond the call of duty to assist those in danger on the water, be it RNLI, coastguard, search and rescue, or an ordinary member of the public”
• The award ceremony was held on Friday 13 April 2018 at the Tregenna Castle Resort, St Ives
• The Cornish Coastal rescue award was presented to Clive by Rob Harris managing director of Ann’s Cottage

Photos:

· Clive Palfrey receiving his award from Rob Harris MD Ann’s Cottage with Pirate FM presenters Neil Caddy and Lucy Smart
Photo credit Pirate FM

· Looe RNLI volunteer helm Clive Palfrey
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

· Looe RNLI volunteer Clive Palfrey at the helm of Looe RNLI’s Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

· For further information on Looe RNLI Lifeboats please visit our website www.looelifeboats.co.uk

· Looe RNLI Facebook page www.facebook.com/LooeRNLI

RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone Ian Foster, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Looe Lifeboat Station, on 07902 753228 or [email protected] or [email protected]

or

Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Media Manager, on 07920 818807 or [email protected]

or

Carrie Garrad, RNLI Regional Media Officer, on 07786 668847 or [email protected]

Alternatively you can contact the RNLI Duty Press Officer on 01202 336789.

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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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.