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Ruth answers the call for the first time as Helm at Whitstable RNLI

Lifeboats News Release

History was made at Whitstable RNLI on Thursday afternoon when Ruth Oliver the first female helm at the station took command of the lifeboat for the first time on an operational call.

Whitstable lifeboat launches with Ruth Oliver, the first female helm at the station, in command for the first time on Thursday.

RNLI/Chris Davey

Whitstable lifeboat launches with Ruth Oliver, the first female helm at the station, in command for the first time on Thursday.
Ruth, 26, who works as chief sailing and powerboat Instructor at Whitstable Yacht Club joined the crew 5-years ago and passed out as a helm in January said “I had just got home from work when the pager went off and we launched at 5.30pm. This was to be my first call as helm and was to a report of a possible board or kite surfer in difficulties off Seasalter”

“However when we arrived at ‘the scene’ we located a male ‘Wing Foiler’ who was confirmed as the possible casualty by Dover Coastguard but he reported he was not in any need of assistance and intended to stay out for a bit longer so the coastguard stood us down to return to station”.

"Despite the call being regarded as a false alarm with good intent it was good to get my first ‘shout’ as helm under my belt” she said.

With Vicky Kypta also part of the crew on Thursday the station is now looking forward to the day when they can muster an ‘all girl’ crew!


This was the third call of the year for the Whitstable volunteer lifeboat crew.

Notes to editors

Whitstable RNLI Lifeboat Station was established in 1963 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and is one of 237 lifeboat stations around the shores of the UK and Ireland. The volunteer crews provide a maritime search and rescue service for the Kent coast. They cover the area between the Kingsferry Bridge on the Swale, in the west, around the south-eastern side of Sheppey and along the coast through Whitstable and Herne Bay to Reculver in the east and outwards into the Thames Estuary.

The station is equipped with an Atlantic 85 lifeboat named Lewisco, purchased through a bequest of a Miss Lewis of London who passed away in 2006.

She is what is known as a rigid inflatable inshore lifeboat, the boat’s rigid hull being topped by an inflatable sponson. She carries a crew of four people.

RNLI media contacts

  • Chris Davey, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, Whitstable Lifeboat Station.
    07741 012004/ [email protected]

  • Paul Dunt RNLI Press Officer London/southeast/east Tel: 0207 6207416 Mob: (07785) 296252 [email protected]

  • For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789


Whitstable lifeboat launches with Ruth Oliver, the first female helm at the station, in command for the first time on Thursday.

RNLI/Chris Davey

Whitstable lifeboat launches with Ruth Oliver, the first female helm at the station, in command for the first time on Thursday.
Whitstable lifeboat launches with Ruth Oliver, the first female helm at the station, in command for the first time on Thursday.

RNLI/Chris Davey

Whitstable lifeboat launches with Ruth Oliver, the first female helm at the station, in command for the first time on Thursday.

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

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.

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