Two volunteers 400 call outs - milestones reached at Oban RNLI
Not only has it been a busy weekend for the Oban RNLI, launching for the second time in 12 hours this afternoon (Sunday 4 July) but today’s call out also marked a milestone for two of their volunteers, James Hardie and Leonie Mead.
After returning to their beds in the early hours of this morning following a medical evacuation from the island of Mull, Oban RNLI’s volunteers were called upon again shortly after 12pm this afternoon. This request was to respond to a ‘Pan Pan’ call from a RIB with four persons on board, that had broken down in Loch Etive.
The lifeboat ‘Mora Edith MacDonald’ departed Oban shortly after being paged and proceeded to the area. As the lifeboat entered Loch Etive, the RIB reported that a local workboat had also responded and had taken them under tow. With no further assistance required, Oban lifeboat was stood down, returning to station and ready for service again by 1.20pm.
This call out came with a milestone for volunteers James Hardie and Leonie Mead as it marked both James’ 300th and Leonie’s 100th call outs since joining the lifesaving charity.
James Hardie, one of the station’s deputy coxswains, has been a volunteer for Oban lifeboat for 10 years, while Leonie Mead, who also volunteers as the station’s press officer, first stepped onboard the lifeboat as a crew member in 2017.
Their amazing efforts combined total 400 call outs in 14 years. Our thanks go to both James and Leonie for their continued dedication to Oban lifeboat station.
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
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