An incredible seven pass-outs in three days at Mallaig RNLI Lifeboat Station

The Mallaig RNLI Lifeboat Station is celebrating an incredible seven pass-outs in just three days, in a record week of achievements for the crew. The station welcomed its new full-time Coxswain David Fergusson in June this year and were delighted to have him pass his final exams with flying colours on Monday 11 November.

On the same evening the newly recruited Station Mechanic Kenny Harris passed his tier 1 pass-out; a great first step towards him becoming fully qualified.

After being put to the test on which situations to launch the lifeboat, Niall Blackie became a much needed Deputy Launch Authority (DLA). He joins his wife Juliet, who is the volunteer shop manager, as a Mallaig RNLI volunteer.

Across Tuesday and Wednesday, crew members Kevin Macdonell, Kieran Logan and Josh Kingswood passed their a-float mechanic assessments. Cameron Muir further qualified as a Station Technician, which enables him to also do planned maintenance on the lifeboat.

A lot of the crew have had trips down to the RNLI College in Poole over the past six months, training for their new roles as well as taking courses in sea survival and command of the Mallaig’s all-weather lifeboat.

David and the crew’s pass-outs secure a more stable future for the Mallaig station, as for the past year it’s had to rely upon temporary crew and gone through periods of being off-service. Reflecting back on his journey so far he stated:

‘Since 2nd June when I took on the position there has been a steady and often intense training regime to get me ready for my pass out exam.

'It couldn’t have gone better - the crew were fantastic and worked extremely well together. We have all been training a lot over the summer months, and have come on in leaps and bounds.

'I’m very proud to see our hard efforts coming to fruition and I’m absolutely buzzing to have passed the test!’

RNLI media contacts

Jessica Logan, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07532762562, [email protected]

Richard Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789

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For more information on the RNLI please visit rnli.org. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI News Centre rnli.org/news-and-media.

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 over 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 142,200 lives.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, TikTok 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.