Son follows father into RNLI and saves lives after spotting flare
07/02/2023
A son who followed his father to become an RNLI crew member, spotted a red distress flare, which helped save two lives at sea.
Arron Gray trained with the RNLI and joined its Aberdeen crew over a year ago. He had set his sights set on going on a shout alongside his father since he was a child.
Looking for flares
He says, “The team had a shout back in March to a vessel out at sea that was taking on water. “We had been called initially to go out and escort it back to the harbour but as we were getting ready, we were told that it was sinking.”
They got out into the bay, and we were looking for flares and life rafts. “We kept on going out further and I spotted a flare in the distance so I told the Coxswain, and we went over to it as quickly as we could.
“There are several different types of flares and it’s so important to be able to recognise each one, which is something that we learn through our training on-site as well as at the RNLI College in Poole.
“Unfortunately, the vessel went down but we all knew and had regularly practised how to get casualties onboard the lifeboat and ensure that everyone is safe and accounted for.”
Dedicated volunteers make up 95% of people in the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, with nine out of ten RNLI crew members having no previous maritime experience. RNLI crew members rely on their training to save lives at sea.
Training hones boat handling skills, encourages teamwork and enables lifeboat crews to make the right decisions at key moments in any rescue. Intensive initial and ongoing training takes place at lifeboat stations throughout Scotland and is complemented by specialist courses delivered at the RNLI College in Poole, Dorset.
Funding training
It costs an average of £1,400 to fully train one crew member each year. But the co-operative society, Scotmid, has pledged to donate £21,000 to the RNLI. This will fund a full year of training for one volunteer crew member, including Arron, at each of the 15 lifeboat stations in Scotland that are within five miles of a Scotmid and/or Semichem store.
Paul McKeown, Fundraising Lead for RNLI in Scotland, says, ‘We rely on donations to power our lifesaving work and our volunteers are the lifeblood of the RNLI. It’s important to make sure they are equipped with the right skills and the training so we can continue to provide the service that we have done for nearly 200 years.”
The image of Arran Grey and RNLI Aberdeen colleagues celebrates lifesaving commemorations and long service awards and is from Aberdeen RNLI’s Facebook page.
