Port St Mary RNLI Coxswain retires after more than half a century saving lives

Now Mike hangs up his wellies in the charity’s bicentenary year, his dedication and commitment accounts for over a quarter of the existence of the institution as a whole. Mike, who is a Funeral Director by profession, has held the post of Coxswain of the all-weather lifeboat for the last 22 years. During his 50 years with the station he’s undertaken a wide range of roles including crew, mechanic, helm and coxswain, serving on both the station’s all-weather and inshore lifeboats.

Over the years Mike has been called out on more than *300 shouts, aided at least 124 people and saved the lives of 13 individuals. At the start of this year, Mike was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s New Year Honours. Upon reflecting on his long service to the RNLI and the official recognition he’s received, Mike said:

‘When I was told I was going to receive the MBE I was truly shocked, but so very proud. It has been a real honour to receive the recognition in my final year of service, in the same year that the charity celebrates 200 years of lifesaving.

‘The RNLI was founded here on the Isle of Man, and everyone who volunteers for this special charity are all working together as one crew, to save lives at sea. We don’t give up our time and energy to get recognition, we do it because we want to serve our communities and keep people safe. However, the MBE gave me the opportunity to look back on my many years at the RNLI with pride, and to think about those lives I’ve helped save and the families I’ve helped keep together.’

Sarah Kneen, Mike’s daughter, former Crew Member and Lifeboat Operations Manager for Port St Mary said:

‘The RNLI talk about inspiring the next generation of lifesavers and that’s exactly what Dad did for us. He’s given so much to the station and RNLI - and to think of him dedicating over 50 years to lifesaving makes us all so proud.

‘My brother Thomas and I both served as lifeboat crew and it was Dad who inspired us to join. As well as all the rescues Dad’s been involved with over the years, a personal highlight was getting to see him meet HRH Princess Anne when he was presented with his MBE medal at Windsor Castle in April. Such a special moment and one that will stay with me forever.’

During 50 years of volunteering Mike has been involved in a huge variety of rescues and incidents, but there are a significant few that stick in his mind. The first of these shouts Mike recalls was in 1974 to a fishing boat that had suffered engine failure off Langness. The station lifeboat at that time was the Watson class R A Colby Cubbin No2, which had a top speed of 7.5 knots, but against the tide at Langness they could barely make 2 knots.

Another shout was off the Carrick Beacon where there were three young people onboard a boat in difficulty, none of them were wearing lifejackets and had no means of communication. Two of them tried to swim to shore whilst the third person stayed with the boat. Mike said:

‘The first swimmer managed to reach the shore and raise the alarm for the lifeboat to be launched. We did a detailed search in the all-weather lifeboat and manged to locate the second swimmer who was in difficulty. A lifebelt was thrown to him but unfortunately due to exhaustion and the onset of hyperthermia, he was unable to reach it.

‘After a dynamic assessment and realising the gravity of the situation, I entered the water from the bow of the Arun class Gough Ritchie and swam to the casualty as he was about to slip below the surface. With a hold of the lifering and the casualty, we were then both recovered to the safety of the lifeboat.’

Next came a shout in July 2004 at approximately 4am, the pagers were sounded to reports of a 10m motorboat Tummi Jo 2 in difficulty 2.5 nautical miles from Port St Mary. The Trent class lifeboat Gough Ritchie II was put to sea at full speed. On reaching the reported position, the lifeboat crew witnessed the crew of the casualty vessel jump into the sea as the motorboat sank. All three were wearing lifejackets and were recovered from the water. A case of three lives being saved.

The final shout that is poignant and stays with Mike was in the early hours of 6 November 2021. Following a Mayday call from a 40ft yacht that had suffered a fouled propeller and rudder near the Carrick, in force five winds gusting force seven and rough seas. The yacht was in imminent danger of grounding on the Carrick.

Mike said: ‘Due to the location both the all-weather and inshore lifeboats were launched. The breaking seas and proximity of the rocks would not allow me to approach in the all-weather lifeboat and get alongside the casualty. So instead, we stood off in the all-weather lifeboat to give protection to the inshore lifeboat being skilfully Helmed by Richard Leigh.’

Richard, who was awarded an RNLI Bronze Medal for gallantry for this rescue, skilfully manoeuvred the inshore lifeboat alongside the stricken yacht to evacuate the three crew of the casualty vessel. Conditions continued to deteriorate and the swell was building up. The three crew were extracted and transferred to the all-weather lifeboat which continued to provide protection for the inshore lifeboat as they all headed back to the station in challenging conditions.

Mike added: ‘Within 30 minutes of evacuating the yacht the anchor cable broke and the yacht grounded on the Carrick, resulting in the keel being torn off and the yacht capsizing. This shout exhibited incredible one crew teamwork, which resulted in saving the lives of three people. In my eyes, that’s what being a volunteer RNLI lifeboat crewmember is all about.’

In addition to Richard’s Bronze Medal, Mike, Sarah, Chris Hill and Daniel Grace each received a framed Letter of Appreciation signed by the Chief Executive for their individual courage, collective teamwork and determination to save a life.

Mike Teare, Port St Mary RNLI’s current Lifeboat Operations Manager, reflected on Mike’s contribution to the charity:

'Mike has been a stalwart of Port St Mary Lifeboat for as long as most can remember. He has served our community as an RNLI volunteer for over 50 years – an incredible feat. Whilst we wish him all the very best in his retirement – his skill, knowledge, expertise and dedication will be sorely missed. On behalf of the crew, past and present, thank you for your exceptional service.'

Notes to editor

• *Statistic taken from RNLI records which are from 1994 to present day.

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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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