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20 years saving lives at sea for Plymouth RNLI volunteer who joined crew aged 17
Will Roberts, who at just 17-years-old was inspired to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the RNLI as a crew member, is celebrating his 20th anniversary saving lives at sea as a volunteer for the charity.
Among his most memorable moments are rescuing nine sheep on his first ever shout, plus a close call at Bovisand beach during a night-time incident, near Plymouth.
His fellow volunteer crew members say his dedication has made the difference to many people’s lives and that he has attended 431 shouts without hesitation, no matter the weather conditions, or if by day or by night.
Over 20-years of service he’s clocked up helping 662 people, launching 431 times, saving 7 lives and spending nearly 600 hours volunteering during incidents at sea, plus many hundreds of hours on training and events to support the station and the RNLI.
He first joined the RNLI as a crew member at RNLI Horton & Port Eynon in Wales as a teenager, until he moved to Plymouth in 2012 to study mechanical engineering and later work at Babcock as a Marine Engineer.
He initially served on both the station's inshore and all-weather lifeboats before progressing through a number of roles to the senior position of Deputy Coxswain. The roles have included ILB Helm, ALB Navigator and ALB Mechanic. As Coxswain he’s in overall command when at sea, responsible for all operations connected with launching the lifeboat, ensuring the safety of the crew and those in danger on the water. He also leads the station and helps train crew members to progress through the RNLI's competency-based training scheme.
Will said, “My dad was a RNLI crew member for 33 years. I volunteered alongside him for about 6 years in Wales, until I moved to Plymouth. Among my most memorable rescues is a time when we were able to get to someone in the nick of time at Bovisand, in the dark. It’s great to know that person is still here today because we were able to rescue them.”
He continued, “There have been some tough rescues over the years, but there have also been some unusual ones too – including my very first shout as a teenager at RNLI Horton & Port Eynon in Wales, when we were tasked to save nine sheep who’d been caught out by the big tides on the Gower! But the best thing about the last 20 years has been making good friends, helping to build up the Plymouth RNLI crew and all the camaraderie with my fellow volunteer crew members.”
Neil Humphrey, Plymouth RNLI Coxswain, said “Having served alongside Will for nearly 20 years, I’ve witnessed his growth from a young crew member with a strong seafaring background into one of the station’s most capable volunteers. He maintained a high level of availability throughout his university years, embracing each stage of his development: first as a member of the crew, then as one of our inshore lifeboat helms and shortly after as a mechanic and more recently as one of our coxswains.
He continues, “What stands out most about Will is his unwavering commitment, reliability and steady presence on the crew. We’ve launched on countless services together over the years and while no single job stands out above the rest, Will has always been a sound pair of hands on board and someone you are glad to have alongside you. He’s a real asset to the station, not only operationally, but also helping train and support the newer crew coming through.”
Adam ‘Wotty’ Wotton, Second Mechanic at the RNLI Plymouth station, has been volunteering with Will for around 17 years and said, “I’ve volunteered with Will and we’ve been firm friends for years. He has a level head and is always calm when we’re out on a shout. On behalf of the station, we’d like to thank Will for his dedication to the crew and all the time he’s spend recruiting and training the team over the last 20 years.”
Steve Bennetts, Second Coxswain at the station, said, “Will transferred to the RNLI Plymouth Lifeboat Station when he moved to Plymouth. Although he had to re-train here to crew on larger lifeboats to the ones he’d crewed previously, he took this in his stride and became an integral member of the crew – passing out as a B class helm, All-weather lifeboat (ALB) Navigator, ALB mechanic and now ALB Coxswain.”
He continued, “Will has attended numerous shouts over the years, making the difference to many people’s lives and he’s always done this without hesitation, no matter the weather conditions, or if it’s day or night. He’s given time to pass his knowledge on to new recruits and his dedication and support, despite disruption to family members and his professionalism over the last 20 years of service show the very best qualities of volunteering for the RNLI.”
RNLI Media Contacts
For further information, please contact:
Katie O'Neill, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI South West, [email protected], 07934
Darren Blight, Lifeboat Press Officer, Plymouth Lifeboat Station on 07984 399860 or [email protected]
Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for South West England, 07920 818807, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]
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
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.