A special day to round off a busy month at Walton and Frinton RNLI
Volunteer crew at Walton and Frinton RNLI have been joined by family, fundraisers and supporters for a very special event.
In a unique ceremony the town’s vicar, Rev Peter Edwards, who acts as the RNLI station padre, blessed and dedicated a new RNLI ceremonial standard. The flag will be carried by the crew on special occasions such as Remembrance Sunday and Sea Sunday parades in the town.
The new standard was donated by a local well wisher who felt the team needed a flag to be proud of and which would properly reflect the affection and pride which the community felt for them.
The gathering took place at Walton and Frinton Yacht Club with the crew bringing the station’s Tamar class lifeboat Irene Muriel Rees alongside the quay at high tide for the short ceremony.
Speaking at the ceremony the station’s Lifeboat Operations Manager Stewart Oxley said: ‘We are very grateful to our benefactor for this generous gift.
‘It is a great representation of the bond we have with our community and the commitment and dedication our crew has to their role saving lives at sea.’
The day did not end there for the crew however, as they were tasked by UK Coastguard to investigate reports of someone in difficulty as they returned to the pier berth. Happily, the situation was resolved without incident.
September was one of the busier months of the last couple of years for the volunteer team with them bringing ashore a lone sailor who had been stranded on his yacht on Saturday 4 September. A disabled catamaran with three people on board was assisted into Brightlingsea on Wednesday 8 September.
On Tuesday 14 September the team were involved in a multi-agency search for a missing man who was later found safe and well.
These incidents were in addition to being paged and stood down on another occasion when a member of the public reported an incident which was resolved as the crew arrived at the boathouse.
RNLI Media contacts
For more information please telephone Miranda Rayner, Walton and Frinton RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07799691852 or [email protected]
Or Dale Steggles, Walton and Frinton RNLI Deputy Press Officer on 07540802302 or [email protected]
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.