Extraordinary day of pass outs for New Brighton RNLI!
New Brighton RNLI’s volunteer crew were put through their paces on Monday 12 January 2026, with six separate pass outs taking place in one day.
A grey, wet day in January saw cause to celebrate for volunteer crew in New Brighton, as they celebrated six separate pass outs, all completed successfully and to a high standard.
Under the supervision of a RNLI Coastal Trainer, three Shore Crew – Jack, Hayden and Meryl, and three Head Launchers – Faye, Joanne and Alex, were assessed individually, with all completing this next step in their training.
Shore Crew play a vital role in the launching of a lifeboat, responsible for maintaining safe operations and supervision whilst getting the lifeboat to the launch site. They remain on hand during taskings to respond at a moment’s notice to requests for emergency recovery procedures, such as a net recovery, or to assist with casualties shoreside.
Head Launchers are a shore-based command role. They are responsible for the effective management of all operations leading the lifeboat to the launch site, as well as managing the Shore Crew to carry out their roles effectively. They are the single point of contact for the inshore lifeboat crew and the Tractor Driver, whilst they are in transit to the water’s edge.
All of the candidates for assessment were primarily guided through their training by experienced Tractor Driver, Head Launcher and Launch Authority, Mark Dyer. Through Mark’s expert tutelage, all have now reached the next level of their training. Passed out candidates will now move on to various new roles, such as training to be Tractor Drivers themselves, or on to training to become boat crew on board New Brighton’s Atlantic-85 lifeboat.
‘It’s a fantastic achievement for all of these volunteers, to see them pass out and mark the next step on their lifeboat journey. They have all, without exception, applied themselves brilliantly throughout their training, and have given freely of their time to ensure they were ready for these assessments. All of us at New Brighton RNLI are very proud of their progress.’
Notes to Editors:
New Brighton RNLI was established in 1863 in the bustling seaside resort of New Brighton, on the northeast corner of the Wirral peninsula. They cover the River Mersey and out into the Irish Sea.
The station is home to a B-class Atlantic 85 lifeboat, one of the fastest in the RNLI fleet. The crews at New Brighton have been presented with a remarkable 48 awards for gallantry to date.
RNLI Media Contacts:
For more information, please contact:
Connor Wray
Lifeboat Press Officer/ILB Crew
New Brighton RNLI
07756553092
Emily Craven
Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer/ILB Crew
New Brighton RNLI
07986119684
Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith
Regional Communications Manager
07977728315
Danielle Rush
Regional Communications Lead
+441745538995
Or RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789
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.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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