Eleanor Jackson follows her Master Mariner father into Staithes RNLI

Eleanor Jackson’s training with Staithes and Runswick RNLI Lifeboat was delayed due to the pandemic however she is now excited at the prospect of following her Dad into the service.

Eleanor is 18 and a student studying Media Makeup. She lives in Staithes and works part time in a local Seafood Restaurant and from a young age has enjoyed going fishing with her Dad in their boat sailing from Staithes harbour.

Eleanor says, 'I’ve grown up with the lifeboat and got used to Dad rushing out the house for call outs. I’ve always wanted to join the RNLI lifeboat crew but when I was 17 the Covid restrictions put a stop to training. I’m eager to learn new skills and help people who find themselves in difficulty. I want to be part of the team and give something back to the community.'

Eleanor’s Dad, Lee Jackson became involved with Staithes and Runswick lifeboat station when he was just 14 as a shore worker and at 18 he became lifeboat crew and achieved his Helmsman status just a year later in 2000.

Lee studied and served with the RFA before obtaining his Master Mariner’s certificate when he was 26 and supported the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in conflict theatres including Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Iraq. One of his last deployments with the RFA was as Operations Officer on RFA Sir Tristram during Gulf War 2, before leaving the RFA to become a Tees Bay Pilot in 2004, and Senior Pilot in 2009.

With the RNLI lifeboat in 2014, Lee received a framed letter of thanks from the Chairman of the RNLI (Mr. Charles Hunter-Pease) following a rescue at Staithes Harbour when two people were swept off the pier by heavy seas. As Helmsman Lee executed the rescue with calmness and professionalism resulting in the crew being granted the Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge award.

Lee joined the RNLI flood rescue team in 2007 serving until 2017 during which he was tasked to the floods at Cockermouth in 2009 where he gained the Chief Executives Commendation Award, he also attended the Stockton-on-Tees floods in 2011.

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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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