Port Talbot RNLI volunteer receives long service award
Port Talbot crew member Rachel Ann Thomas has just received the Long Service Award for twenty years of commitment and service to the RNLI
Throughout the years, Rachel has taken part in many rescues and in 2006 she received a bravery certificate, together with two other crew members, for the rescue of two men in a fishing boat in very rough stormy conditions off the mouth of the River Afan and returned them back to safety.
An invitation followed to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace as a member of the RNLI. When Rachel is not training or helping rescue people at sea she is busy at work as a Spinal Surgical Practitioner at Morriston Hospital, a job she has done for nine years. Her medical skills have come in handy on many occasions.
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.