Now lifeboat artist Maria joins the Lyme Regis crew
The professional artist currently painting portraits of the volunteer crew of Lyme Regis lifeboat has decided she wants to see even more of them...by becoming a crew member herself.
Maria Barbashina, 38, was officially enrolled as a member of the shore crew at this week’s training session when she was presented with her RNLI pager.
Maria, who is working on more than 20 crew portraits, said:
“Everyone at the lifeboat station has been very welcoming and I am looking forward to my volunteer role. I believe the RNLI is very important, and I like adventure and I enjoy being part of a team.”
Maria’s ambition is to be a sea-going crew member after her spell of shore duties.
When she lived in Russia she sailed six metre racing boats and helped to crew replica vessels, including tall ships, in her home town where shipbuilding was a major industry.
Lyme Regis RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Nick Marks said:
“We are very pleased to welcome Maria as part of the lifeboat crew. She joins at a time when we are starting to rebuild our full life-saving capability after many months of reduced training due to COVID restrictions.
“The fact that she lives and works within a few minutes of the lifeboat station is ideal and means she can respond quickly when her new RNLI pager goes off.”
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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