Shoreham RNLI Lifeboat Crew Honoured for Brave Sea Rescues
Daring Kayaker Rescue Marks 40 Years of Service
Shoreham RNLI crew made waves this year with two heroic rescue missions. On June 13, led by Second Coxswain Simon Tugwell, the all-weather lifeboat raced against time to save a lost and unwell kayaker. The man, paddling from Hove Lagoon without a buoyancy aid or weather gear, had drifted 3.3 miles offshore and was exhausted.
With Tugwell at the helm, navigator Adam Fox, mechanic Ben Coe, and crew members Kevin Knight, Dominic Huxley, Daniel Measor, plus Andrew Fitzgerald on his debut mission, adjusted their search tactics amid worsening weather. They found and rescued the kayaker just after 8pm, safely bringing aboard both him and his waterlogged kayak.
The dramatic save was extra special as it fell on Coxswain Tugwell’s 40th anniversary at Shoreham RNLI — a heartfelt milestone in a distinguished career.
Storm Noa Rescue Battle off Brighton
Back in April during brutal Storm Noa, Shoreham’s lifeboat Enid Collett teamed up with Newhaven’s David and Elizabeth Acland to search for a person reported in the sea near Brighton Palace Pier.
Facing gale-force winds up to 55 knots and punishing seas, Coxswain-Mechanic Simon Williams and his crew battled fierce conditions and a dangerously overheated gearbox. Despite relentless night searches, no trace of the missing individual was found the next morning either. The rescue effort showed fearless determination even in the toughest circumstances.
RNLI Praises Shoreham Crew’s Heroism
Ryan Hall, RNLI’s Head of Region, applauded the crews for their “professionalism, teamwork, collaborative working, determination, and resilience to save lives at sea in challenging conditions.”
“Thank you for your efforts and all you continue to do,” he added.
These official commendations shine a spotlight on Shoreham RNLI’s fearless volunteers who put their lives on the line to protect others, staying true to the RNLI’s life-saving mission.
