
Can you play a key role in saving lives at Yarmouth Lifeboat Station?
Yarmouth RNLI lifeboat station on the Isle of Wight is looking for new volunteers who will play a key role in launching the lifeboat and saving lives at sea.
Exciting opportunities to play a key role in saving lives at Yarmouth Lifeboat Station
The station, which covers the western end of the Solent, plays a key role in keeping people in this busy stretch of coast safe. In 2021 the station’s Severn class lifeboat, the largest lifeboat in the RNLI fleet and capable of tackling the very worst of sea conditions, launched 29 times and aided 22 people.
Incidents volunteers launched to last year include assisting yachts in difficulty, coming to the aid of people who have fallen on shore and supporting four rescues as part of the Round the Island Race. The crew also raced to the rescue of a dismasted yacht and also one that had lost its rudder. Volunteers at Yarmouth have received 17 awards for gallantry during its long history.
Now the RNLI is looking to recruit new Deputy Launch Authorities (DLAs) at the station. The DLA volunteer role is to assist the Lifeboat Operations Manager LOM) in helping carry out the day-to-day management of the station and also authorise the launch of the lifeboats. They are also expected to provide leadership in the absence of the LOM and ensure the lifeboat and all equipment is kept in a constant state of readiness.
Max Gilligan, who is a Deputy Launch Authority at Selsey Lifeboat Station, said the role is a great way of being involved in the operational side of the station: ‘It comes with a lot of responsibilities, including taking the initial call from HM Coastguard about an incident they may have ongoing and agreeing the launch of the lifeboat’.
‘As the duty deputy launch authority you get involved in all station matters from exercises to roller shutter doors failing to open. We at Selsey have four DLAs who stand in for the Lifeboat Operations Manager on a regular basis, so we all get experience,’ explained Max.
Volunteers who join the RNLI receive world-class training, both on station and at the RNLI’s purpose-built headquarters in Poole. Maritime experience is an advantage in both roles, but more important is experience in managing people and bringing the best out of them.
For more details and to apply for the role please use the following link:
Yarmouth Deputy Launch Authority (DLA):
https://volunteering.rnli.org/vacancy/deputy-launching-authority-yarmouth-isle-of-wight-507924.html
Note to Editors:
Yarmouth Lifeboat Station operates an all-weather Severn class Lifeboat Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer) which came into service in 2001. The Severn class is the largest in the RNLI fleet and comes into her own on long offshore searches and rescues. She is designed to life afloat, either at deep-water moorings, or alongside at a berth and has a top speed of 25 knots with a range of 250 nautical miles. Her power also means she can tow large vessels out of danger.
She carries a small Y boat, which is an inflatable daughter boat, complete with a 15hp outboard engine. This small boat is ideal for rescues near rocks or shallow waters.
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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.