
A lifesaving volunteer journey from one lifeboat to another
When Jason Clifford-Hillman relocated to the area in June 2024, one of his first visits was to Port Talbot RNLI, so keen was he to continue his volunteer lifeboat crew journey.
Jason was a qualified lifeboat crew with over 5 years’ experience on the independent lifeboat service, Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA), based on the fast flowing and treacherous River Severn. Now he’s stepped into the role of volunteer Shore Crew with Port Talbot RNLI – taking his first steps between transitioning from an independent lifeboat to the 200-year-old lifesaving charity.
In some areas the RNLI operates in, there is regular Search and Rescue collaboration and interaction between independent and RNLI lifeboats. But in Port Talbot RNLI there is not a nearby independent lifeboat and so Jason’s arrival has been a fascinating insight to his experiences and training.
While there will be some standard operating procedures that Jason will recognise or at least be familiar with elements of, he is the first to admit that his first introduction to the inky blackness of an Aberavon launch in surf is a very different experience compared to a river launch.
Jason said:
‘I joined SARA on March 15 2018. On my first day at the station I was one of four that joined at the same time. By January 2019 I was the only one left of the new recruits.
‘I passed my Level 2 Powerboat Handling Course and became a full crew member that same year. I have helped with all aspects of boat upkeep and had helm time on both the SARA Atlantic 85 and D class inshore lifeboats many times.
‘I also did my Water Safety & Rescue courses in the middle of 2019, passing that same year. I have had to undertake several casualty retrievals, which is part of the role you undertake.
SARA is the designated rescue service for the *Severn, Wye and Usk Rivers. The five SARA lifeboats based at Beachley, Newport and Sharpness, are tasked by HM Coastguard largely in response to 999 calls.
The River Severn below Gloucester is used for around 350 commercial ship transits per year and the Wye is used for around 150. The Severn also has over 500 registered leisure craft transits between Gloucester and Sharpness alone each year, and many more that are not counted.
The tidal range on the Severn at Beachley, and on the Wye at Chepstow, is 15m (the second highest in the World!), which means that the river changes within a few hours from a wide expanse of deep water, to narrow shallow channels weaving through extensive sandbanks.
In addition, the tidal current on the Severn reaches 12 knots; this can lead to very turbulent river conditions in even a moderate wind. Most of the way to Gloucester the riverbed is very broad, with a narrow and winding navigable channel, marked with numerous buoys, beacons and transits. The margins of all the tidal rivers have wide and thick mudbanks below the high-tide levels, and in places the exposed mud leads out to rocky islands at low tide.
Typical incidents for SARA include vessels grounding or losing power, hence requiring urgent assistance to avoid grounding. People have been rescued from islands or ledges where they were being cut off by the tide, or actually plucked from the mud. On other occasions, boats and other floating hardware are broken lose by the water and drift with the fast currents – needing to be recovered. On average, lifeboats are launched operationally around once a week (50-60 launches per year).
*SARA’s declared area of lifeboat operations, for which it is tasked by the Coastguard, is the Severn, north from a line between Newport and Clevedon to Maisemore Weir near Gloucester, and the tributary rivers Wye (to Bigsweir Bridge), Usk (to the M4 Bridge) and the Avon (to Bristol Docks).
If required in exceptional circumstances, SARA Lifeboat 1 can extend beyond this area, using a re-fuelling stop at Newport to operate north of a line from Barry to Weston-super-Mare.
Jason added:
‘Since joining the Port Talbot RNLI family I have been welcomed with open arms and treated as one of the crew. I’ve really loved this and my wife has also been accepted into the station family.
‘I very proud to wear my RNLI shirt with pride and it’s great to share experiences and learnings from my time as a volunteer with SARA.
‘Thank you to all the crew for allowing me to continue my volunteer lifesaving journey with an incredible charity with 200 years of lifesaving legacy that I hope to be a part of for years to come.’
RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact Port Talbot RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, Ceri Jeffreys on [email protected], or Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, Regional Communications Manager on [email protected] or 07977 728 315.
Alternatively, you can contact the RNLI Press Office on [email protected] or 01202 336789.
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.