Rhyl RNLI lifeboat crew mourn fellow crew member Ben Hirst.

The charity's volunteers and officials at Rhyl were stunned to hear of Ben's passing on Saturday December 22, 2018. At a time when all should be celebrating, the station has been devastated at the news.
Ben (35) was a very popular member of the lifeboat crew at Rhyl. He was affectionately nicknamed 'Ding-Dong' after one of the crew referred to him as 'Big Ben'. One of the true gentle giants of this world, Ben would go out of his way to help anyone who asked. An ever-present character at the station, Ben will be sorely missed.
Ben had been a volunteer crew member on both the inshore and all-weather lifeboats at Rhyl for over four years. He would be willing to do any task at the station, and occasionally helped our Lifeboat Visitor Officer Derek Denton with school visits to the station and outside visits.
Ben had been a finalist in the Wales' section of 'Britain's Strongest man' and could always be seen doing the heavy tasks around the boathouse. He was a well-known face in the town, especially with his friends in the Gym and fitness fraternity.
The crew wish to send their deepest sympathies to Ben's immediate and extended families, and our thoughts are with them at this very sad time.
Martin Jones, Coxswain at Rhyl RNLI said ' The station will be all the poorer now that Ben has gone. One of the true characters of the station, we will miss his sense of humour and gentle character'.
Fair winds and following seas, shipmate.
Further details regarding Ben's funeral will be posted on the Rhyl lifeboat Facebook page when known.

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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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