The flags at RNLI lifeboat stations around the southeast coast sit at half-staff following the passing of long-serving coxswain, Stuart Adams, after a short illness. He died peacefully with his family at his side on Saturday 8 July.
Stuart was the backbone of the RNLI station at Dungeness, providing leadership and true friendship to all the volunteers that worked with him. He guided the volunteers through huge changes throughout his years at the charity, where he lived and breathed ‘Saving Lives at Sea’.
Stuart initially joined the RNLI as a volunteer in 1978 alongside his fellow fishermen in Dungeness. He was a keen fisherman from a young age and started commercial fishing as a full-time occupation after school, which is where he was introduced to the RNLI.
In 2000, 22 years after joining as a volunteer, Stuart became full-time Coxswain of Dungeness Lifeboat, where he dedicated his life fully to the role.
The role of the Coxswain is to lead their crew whilst on the lifeboat, being responsible for the safety of the crew and those they rescue. The coxswain’s most important mission is to bring everyone home safely, but for Stuart Adams, the role was so much more.
Stuart was a confidante, a father figure, a calming influence and a figure of stability where no person felt unsafe going to sea under his command. He was highly respected by all that knew him, as well as being full of good humour. He actively ensured that the volunteers felt able to learn and was completely selfless in all of his endeavours.
Lifeboat Operations Manager, Vicky Morgan, says:
‘Stuart inspired so many of the volunteers here at Dungeness with his outstanding commitment and his superb leadership. He was a humble man – never recognising his own extraordinary dedication towards the crew and the station. He was everything the RNLI stands for and was an exemplary role model for all those in the institution. He will be very sadly missed.’
In recent years, the station has become much busier dealing with small boat crossings and encountering very different scenarios when at sea, with a new set of challenges. Stuart’s sense of commitment to his crew during this time showed no bounds. His care towards his fellow crew and their wellbeing, during sometimes very difficult service calls, was of the highest degree and was always at the forefront of his mind. He encompassed the RNLI’s core value of everyone at the station being ‘One Crew’.
Recently, Stuart was awarded the RNLI’s ‘Thanks on Vellum’ for his role as Coxswain in the tragic service call involving the sinking of a small vessel in the middle of the English Channel on 14 December 2022.
Stuart leaves behind his wife Lisa, whose own dedication to the RNLI has also been remarkable as she has sacrificed many family dinners, events and social occasions in order for Stuart to do his duty as Coxswain. They have two equally dedicated children, both RNLI volunteers turned staff. Natalie went through the ranks at Dungeness as a volunteer before taking a full-time role at Gravesend Lifeboat Station as Thames Commander and now supports the lifeboat stations in the South East as an Assessor Trainer.
As the station, and the RNLI as a whole, come to terms with such a huge loss, we are guided into a new era at Dungeness by Stuart’s son Jason Adams who takes over as full-time Coxswain. Jason will lead the station into the future with all the same core values as his father. The station holds the Adams family close to their heart and shows the family their support in the same way the family have supported Dungeness Lifeboat Station for decades.
They can be sure that Stuart’s legacy will live on for years to come.
A statement from Stuart’s family reads:
‘As a family, we would like to thank the station, the wider RNLI and the local community for their amazing support and gestures of kindness at this most difficult time.’
The funeral service will be held at All Saints Church, Lydd (TN29 9AJ) on Wednesday 26 July at 11.30am. In lieu of flowers, the family would like any donations to be made to Demelza House, a charity that Stuart always supported.
If you are interested in volunteering for Dungeness RNLI Lifeboat Station, we have a number or roles available both afloat and shore based. Please contact the station on 01797 320317 or [email protected] if you would like to take on a new challenge and become part of the charity that saves lives at sea.
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