Dover RNLI Crewman of the Year Award goes to....... Darryl Cooper!

Darryl received the most nominations for the award by his fellow volunteers at the station. Dover Coxswain James Clapham said: 'This is a well deserved honour for someone who always goes the extra mile.'

Darryl is a former Sir Roger Manwood’s School pupil, who works full time as a Marine Training Manager at The Maritime Skills Academy based just outside Dover. He is a lead trainer on a number of STCW (Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping) courses which set standards for masters, officers and watch personnel on sea-going merchant ships. These courses include sea-survival, lifeboat and rescue boat courses. He also assists on fire-fighting courses and more specialist training areas such as where helicopters land on superyachts.

Prior to this Darryl had ten years sea-going experience and four years as an outdoor education instructor. Additionally he conducts taster sessions and presentations for local schools.

Darryl says he feels very lucky his career has prepared him well for the Dover RNLI: 'I am continually working towards all of the units of training and am lucky to have some of them come easily to me. I try as best I can to help other crew members out with elements that they are not as familiar with as I am. As I currently work as a trainer it would be shame not share my expertise, assisting the other crew.'

Darryl enjoys being on the deck because the last seven years of his time at sea were spent mostly on the bridge. When family and work commitments allow, Darryl concentrates on the navigation aspects of the RNLI training as these are areas that he is most familiar with.

Darryl said: 'I had wanted to volunteer because I am fully aware of just how treacherous the waters can be around our coastline. Whether this is from my experience of outdoor pursuits or from my professional sea-faring experience, I have always respected and appreciated those who volunteer to help save lives at sea. I always knew it was something I would enjoy, at the same time I knew it would be a challenge, however I cannot think of a more noble pursuit than to volunteer to help others.'

As Dover is a station based at the bottle neck of the incredibly busy English Channel and flanked by our world famous White Cliffs, volunteers come across numerous shouts revolving around dangerous situations. The station has a large number of pleasure craft and some commercial vessels that can become a hazard to navigation due to mechanical failure or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This results in a fair few tow recoveries, the most interesting of which was when Dover RNLI towed the Dutch tall ship Swaensborgh. Because of the nature of our local coastline we often get persons unexpectedly cut off by the tide which can be extremely time-critical but the last rescue Darryl attended, the three potential casualties were perched very happily above the high tide mark enjoying their picnic!

Darryl added: “Without trying to sound too cliché there is genuinely an enormous feeling of well-being when anything you do helps someone. It’s exciting responding to a shout when you have no idea what it might be. It could be a ten minute run-out to assist a kayaker or a ten hour search for a missing person. From our shared experiences, the crew form a very tight knit group and socialise regularly outside of training session and shouts.'

Darryl is married with two children aged two and four, and lives eight minutes away from the lifeboat station. 'My kids love me being on the lifeboat crew and get quite giddy when there’s any chance they may get to visit the lifeboat on the annual crew day. They absolutely love getting onboard the boat – undoubtedly they are future crew in our midst!'

The next Dover Marina Open Day will be held on Sunday July 1^st.

Dover RNLI volunteer crew responded to 42 calls in 2017.

The RNLI is an independent charity, funded by voluntary donations. We could not save lives at sea without the public's support. Dover lifeboats have been saving lives since 1837 and over 30 awards for gallantry have been presented to the crews. Today, the station operates the largest lifeboat in the fleet, a Severn class lifeboat.

RNLI Media contacts

• Ann-Marie Harrop Dover RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer 07780 433422 [email protected]

• Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer (South East), 0207 6207426, 07785 296252 [email protected]

• For enquiries outside normal business hours, 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.

Learn more about the RNLI

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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.