Whitby RNLI remember former crew member Tony Easton.
Tony Easton was an RNLI volunteer crew member from 1974 - 1988.
Tony was involved in the rescue of the Admiral Van Tromp’s crew as a crewman on the inshore lifeboat. The then temporary Whitby Lifeboat, William and Mary Durham (41’ Watson (Identical to Mary-Ann Hepworth)) made two attempts to rescue the four crew from the fishing boat during the darkness but were unfortunately unsuccessful in their efforts. The skipper of the Van Tromp was rescued from the base of Black Rock, one of the crew made it ashore by his own means and the two were lost.
The ‘Ralph Glister Award’ was awarded to the Whitby Inshore Lifeboat crew for this service as the most meritorious service during the year by an ILB.
The rescue resulted in the award of two medals to the Crew:
Silver Medal – Coxswain Bobby Allen
Bronze Medal – ILB Helmsman Richard Robinson
Seven ‘Thanks on Vellum’ to Crew members of both boats including Tony Easton
Two Medal Service Certificates
Additionally, Tony was involved in a rescue of a man cut off by tide below the East Cliff in 1977, which resulted in the loss of the inshore lifeboat and the rescue of the RNLI crew and the stranded man being rescued by an RAF Search and Rescue Helicopter. The ILB Crew including Tony were awarded an Institution’s ‘Thanks on Vellum’ for their efforts to rescue the stranded man.
Deputy Launching Authority Neil Williamson, who served with Tony on the inshore lifeboat said: 'Tony was a dedicated crewman and upheld the best values of the RNLI.' His funeral is on Thursday 6 Feb at 12.00pm at Briggswath Methodist Church.
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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