RNLI volunteers in Cornwall prepare for Christmas on call
Crews from the Duchy's 14 lifeboat stations are ready to launch and answer the call for help
Last updated 23rd Dec 2022
Volunteer RNLI lifeboat crews from Cornwall’s 14 lifeboat stations will be on duty this festive season, ready to launch and answer the call for help.
As they call on the public to support the RNLI’s lifesaving work this Christmas, many are reflecting on previous Christmas events that were interrupted by the sound of the pager.
One of these is 22-year-old Amelia Luck, who last year became the first ever female helm at Fowey lifeboat station.
One of her family’s festive traditions is a bracing sea dip on Christmas Day, but in 2020 this became an even more memorable occasion when the pagers sounded just as they were beginning their Christmas swim.
Amelia said: "My family and I go for a festive swim each Christmas Day so were down at Readymoney Cove in Fowey when the pagers went off. I got a lift with another crew member and arrived at the station dripping wet in a Dryrobe with my swimsuit on underneath!"
On this occasion, Fowey’s volunteer crew were called to the aid of a yacht which had been drifting all night on passage from Falmouth to Fowey after suffering engine failure.
Amelia recalls: "The skipper was very reluctant to ask for help on Christmas Day and very apologetic when we arrived to help. But that’s what we’re trained to do - we’re always ready to respond, 24/7, whether that means leaving dinner on the table, or being called away from a family event.
"There’s really no feeling quite like bringing someone home safe to their families – especially at Christmas."
Amelia’s brother Oli is also on the crew, and Dad Adam a volunteer Deputy Launching Authority (DLA) meaning all three could be called away from their festive family feast this year.
This is a reality for thousands of volunteers around the UK and Ireland, with many leaving loved ones behind to answer the call.
Over the past decade, RNLI lifeboats have launched over 1,200 times during the festive period.
Lucy Ashton, Regional Engagement Manager at the RNLI, said: "Even at Christmas, our lifesavers are ready to drop everything at a moment’s notice and rush to the aid of someone in trouble on the water.
"But we couldn’t rescue people without kind donations from the public which fund the kit, training and equipment we need to save others and get home safely, at Christmas and all year round."
You can find the RNLI’s Christmas Appeal here.
The RNLI encourage those visiting coastal areas this Christmas to:
- Check the weather forecast, tide times and read local hazard signage to understand local risks
- If you get into trouble Float to Live – lie on your back and relax, resisting the urge to thrash about
- In an emergency dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard