Emily and Liam Pass Out as the latest Tractor Drivers at Whitstable RNLI

But for Emily Francis and Liam Masters, two volunteers at Whitstable RNLI, the prospect of handling such a vehicle was seen as a challenge worth taking and the pair have just been ‘passed out’ as ‘Launch Vehicle Operators’ on the station’s Talus MB-4H launching tractor, a highly specialized “Bendy” tractor custom built for the RNLI which incorporates many features designed to allow the vehicle to operate in all manner of conditions

Emily (33) who in her day job is a student fee’s officer at Canterbury Christchurch University shared “My husband Sam Turner joined the station when we moved here and I commented that the only job I would like to do at the station was to be the tractor driver”.

“I started tractor driving training about a year ago which involved lots of driving up and down the beach learning how to handle such a large piece of equipment in the various tide and weather conditions that can be encountered when launching the lifeboat and how to get out of trouble if the tractor and the lifeboat launching carriage got stuck”.

“For me all of my training at the moment has been ‘in house’ at the station and I thank my fellow volunteers for helping me get through the training but I am looking forward to attending further training exercises at RNLI headquarters in Poole, Dorset”.

Liam Masters (36) who works for Southeastern Railway as a conductor saw a social media post for tractor drivers at Whitstable RNLI and thought “I could probably do that, applied and got accepted”.

“Rather bizarrely I have learnt to drive an HGV so it seemed like a natural progression to drive a large and expensive tractor.”

“Most of my training has been the same as for Emily although I have been on the ‘Launch Vehicle Operator’ training course at Poole, a four-day course that involved driving around various obstacles to show me the various capabilities of the tractor and its manoeuvring abilities it was however, at an inland training centre so I never saw the sea”.

“I enjoy being part of the team of volunteers at Whitstable lifeboat and apart from training exercises I have now launched the lifeboat three times on actual services, fortunately so far they have been relatively straightforward”.

The Talus MB-4H launch tractor can operate at full power in water up to 2-metres in depth and in emergency situations can be left battened down and submerged in up to 4-metres of water. It has bi-directional driving positions with duplicated controls and a swivel seat and a high haulage capacity through various beach and shoreline conditions. Its high price tag relicts its specialized specifications.

RNLI Media Contacts

Chris Davey, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI South East, [email protected]

Stella Sims, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for London and South East England, 07483 316675, [email protected]

Sam Haddad, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for London and South East England, 01202 137713, [email protected]

Julie Rainey, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for London and South East England, 07827 358256, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

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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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