Heather Large: Praise for those saving lives at sea

A walk by the coast instantly makes me feel relaxed and I get lost just staring out at the mesmerising water, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks.

As well as drawing us in, the sea has long provided us with food, a way of making a living through fishing and leisure activities such as sailing.

But the dangers this very powerful force in nature poses should never be underestimated by anyone venturing away from dry land.

This was brought home to me and my family during a weekend away on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales. During a walk along the coast in the village of Moelfre, we paid a visit to the RNLI Moelfre Lifeboat Station.

This particular station, which is one of 238 operated by the charity and its dedicated team of staff and its visitors, has a remarkable history of bravery with its lifeboat crews being awarded 37 medals for gallantry.

It wasn’t a planned visit, we just happened to walk past and decided to wander in, curious to find out more. A volunteer was on hand to talk to us about its history and adorned on the walls plaques listing all of the crew members that had served during the station’s history with many coming from the same families.

These volunteers have come from all walks of life and face the toughest conditions to rescue people who get into danger in the water.

It can range from boats that have lost engine power or suffered mechanical failure miles from home to kayakers who have got into trouble and assisting with missing people searches.

In August, four children and an adult were rescued after their two kayaks, one of which was an inflatable, were blown more than half-a-mile out to sea.

They were seen drifting off Benllech, Anglesey, by a member of the public and a lifeboat crew from Moelfre was called out to help.

They were brought back to shore and were given blankets to warm up. Our guide at the lifeboat station said the summer months and days when the weather is nice can be busy for the crew with more people venturing out on to the water.

The RNLI dates back to February 1823, when Sir William Hillary made an impassioned appeal to the nation, calling for a service dedicated to saving lives at sea.

Since its foundation a year later, the brave lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved more than 140,000 lives.

For my dad it brought back sad memories of the Penlee lifeboat disaster which occurred on 19 December 1981 off the coast of Cornwall.

The crew of lifeboat Solomon Browne were lost attempting to rescue the crew and passengers onboard the stricken coaster Union Star,.

After several attempts to get alongside the coaster, the lifeboat crew rescued four of the eight people on board. But rather than turn back to shore, they made a final heroic rescue attempt – and all radio contact was lost.

Sadly, at daybreak, the Union Star was found capsized on the rocks by Tater Du Lighthouse and wreck debris from the lifeboat began to wash ashore.

The disaster was the last time the RNLI lost an entire crew in action. It sent shockwaves through the whole country with a public appeal for the village of Mousehole raising more than £3million – the equivalent of £10 million by today’s standards.

For the youngest members of our family group it was the sheer size of the rescue vessel that impressed – it has capacity to carry 118 survivors.

Unlike the very early lifeboats, the crew can operate the all-weather lifeboat from the safety of their shock-absorbing seats.

When crashing through the waves, they absorb most of the energy on impact, reducing the strain on crew members’ backs.

The RNLI has more than 350 lifeboats covering 19,000 miles of coastline and some busy inland stretches of water.

It was a fascinating visit and wonderful insight into the work of an amazing charity. We never know when we, or our friends and family, may need their help so it’s good to know that the RNLI will there in an hour of need.