250 recoveries and more to come
Cromer RNLI’s head winchman, Paul Russell reached the milestone of 250 slipway recoveries of all weather lifeboats on Sunday 19 May 2019.
Paul is a long serving member of the crew, having 15 years dedicated service so far and remains a valued member.Before becoming a winchman he was a valued member of the shore crew, their role is to assist with launching andrehousing the lifeboat when it returns from a call for help or a training exercise. He has helped launch and recover various classes of lifeboat including both the slipway launched Tyne and Tamar all weather lifeboats, plus the beached launched Mersey lifeboat.
As well as his present role as head winchman, Paul has an amazing knowledge of Cromer Lifeboats and has published books using his vast portfolio of pictures and associated historical notes.Before moving to Cromer Paul also served for over 20 years on the committee of the Hitchin & District Branch of the RNLI. By coincidence, Paul’s sister and brother-in-law, who were visiting for the weekend, was also able to witness his 250th recovery.
Cromer RNLI has a long history of volunteers such as Paul . When it was pointed out that he had achieved this amazing number of recoveries he stressed that he was one of the crew who is always willing to help. He also said ‘I continue to be a committed memberof a team and am proud to be able to have served and will continue to do so’.
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.