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Harwich Water Safety Team volunteers tell their stories

Lifeboats News Release

As The Big Help Out day draws closer, Harwich RNLI took the opportunity to speak with two members of the Harwich RNLI Water Safety Team about the volunteer work that they do at the Station as well as in the surrounding community.

Bob began sailing on the river Deben when he was just seven years old. As an avid mariner he had a 43-foot motor cruiser until recently that he and his wife, used to travel extensively around Europe on.

After serving for a number of years on the committee of the Haven Ports Yacht Club and eventually becoming the club commodore, Bob joined the local RNLI Water Safety team some 15 years ago.

Bob says: 'If you are unlucky enough to unexpectedly fall in, fight your instinct to thrash around. Lean back and extend your arms and legs. If you need to, gently move your arms and legs to help you float. Float until you can control your breathing, only then, call for help or swim to safety.'

John is another volunteer who is a part of the Harwich RNLI Water Safety Team.

'It feels good to be part of an organisation that does such valuable work and it's fun too. I joined the Harwich station early in 2017 to assist with visits and became Lifeboat Visits Officer later in the year.

'I really enjoy the face to face aspect of my role and have recently added to it by joining the Water Safety team.'

The Water Safety Team doesn’t just provide advice to boat owners, they also provide valuable safety advice to all those who enjoy being in or around the water, this includes paddle boarders, coastal anglers, open water swimmers and countless other people and groups.

People are invited to visit the Harwich RNLI station on Monday, 8 May from 10 am to 3pm, during which time you will have the opportunity to have an up close look of the lifeboat station's B Class lifeboat and speak with the team about volunteering opportunities at the station.

RNLI Media contacts

For more information. please contact Adam Prescott, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer: [email protected]

RNLI/Adam Prescott

Water Safety Team Member Bob

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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