Harwich RNLI Coxswain celebrates 200 years of lifesaving
Di Bush was the charity's first full-time female coxswain to be appointed in their history
An RNLI coxswain, working at Harwich RNLI, is celebrating 200 years of the lifesaving service.
Di Bush joined the RNLI in 2003, as a volunteer in Falmouth, Cornwall, before working her way up as a mechanic, and later joining Harwich RNLI in 2017.
In 2021, Di became the first Full-Time Female Coxswain in the RNLI's history.
Now, as the RNLI celebrates its 200th anniversary, saving lives every single day, Di joins employees and volunteers across the country in marking its success, and addressing further support to ensure its future.
"There's so many really enjoyable memories of things that I've done and people that I've met through being part of this service."
Di's spoken with Greatest Hits Radio, about her memories and call outs throughout her two decades of service with the RNLI, recalling that all of that time can't be put down into just one favourite memory, due to the time spent and call outs attended over the years.
Speaking about her first call out, Di reflected on how the call in Falmouth kick-started her career.
"I remember I'd come in, I'd been teaching sailing for the morning and I knew it was really windy and quite rough, so we'd stayed in the harbour, and then it would we packed away and everything and then the pages went off.
"It wasn't that far to the lifeboat station, so I went down to the lifeboat station expecting to help launch the boats and they hadn't got enough. So it was a two boat shout out - they were a bit short for AOB crew, so I grabbed some kit and went and joined them on the all weather lifeboat, thinking 'well, I know its going to be really rough as we've been sailing in the harbour."
"So it's a very memorable first one because I suppose I knew it wasn't going to be your normal calm, nice conditions. It was going to be rough where we were going with the sea state and everything else."
Legacy of the RNLI
As the service marks its 200 years, Di's keen for people across Essex and the rest of the country, to continue their support as they have done for the past two centuries.
"I think for any organisation to have have been established and running for 200 years is no mean feat in itself. But then when you look at the organisation, the RNLI which is run, what 95% with volunteers, it is just pretty incredible really that people over the 200 years, the communities have given up their time, made sure the boats are manned, made sure the boats go to sea - and that's still happening today.
"I think that's a hell of a legacy really for the RNLI"
"To be able to still be doing today when people's commitment of time, the work, lifestyle, home balance is so different to what it was when it was just the small communities. People didn't travel so much.
"So to be able to achieve that today, I think is is an is a real achievement to be honest in itself with what the volunteers give."
Memories of the RNLI
Whilst Di couldn't put down her whole service in the RNLI to a few favourite memories, one in particular will always stick in her mind.
One winter, Di and her crew with an in-shore boat were called to an oyster fisherman, although at the time they believed it was just a boat that had drifted, with no one at risk.
When they got to the scene the fisherman was found in all weather gear, but the water and weather meant that wasn't protective enough against the sea.
Di said: " I think the biggest thing from that for me was a combinational of all the services being able to work together.
"Us, the helicopter. Being able to get the person out of the water, onto our boat, onto the helicopter to get the medical assistance they needed to survive is, and will always be the one service I can honestly say made a difference to somebody's life."
With many RNLI teams never finding out the outcome of those who's lives they save, Di believes just hearing how they're getting on makes all the difference to the volunteers and workers.
Preserving the RNLI's future
As technology advances, Di's urging people to utilise new technologies, such as weather and tide reports, to ensure further safety in the water.
"My message for today for the RNLI on our 200th anniversary is it's a hell of a milestone for everybody that's that is involved and it has been involved with the institution over the years. But I think also, some of the safety messages that they put out to try and inform people are important because we can travel around a lot more these days.
"We can have inflatable paddle boards, kayaks that we can put in the back of our cars and go and use in the water because we are an island nation at the end of the day.
"It would be, I think, for people just to be mindful that it really is easy to get a weather forecast. It really is quite easy to get a tide information of where you're going and doing your boating activity. And by just doing that, you might find that you actually help yourselves out and keep yourself safe."
With volunteers and donations primarily supporting the RNLI, and its stations such as Harwich, continued funding and support of people giving up their time, is something that is needed to preserve the future of the RNLI, for another 200 years.
"If we all do our bit through the time that I'm in it and other people are in it, then we will leave the right legacy going forward for the next 200 years as well."
As the first female Full-Time Coxswain for the RNLI as whole, but based in Harwich, Di believes the success in itself is something to be proud of, but also, recognising others who work in volunteer capacity in the same role is something that is important to highlight.
Events are taking place throughout today, to celebrate 200 years of service for the RNLI.