Lifeboat member completes crew training

Shane O’Neill, from Portrush recently travelled to the RNLI College in Poole, Dorset, to complete the charity’s Trainee Crew Course.

A key part of that course is the sea survival element, which enables new volunteer crew to be trained in a variety of crucial subjects including how to ‘abandon ship’ with a 4m jump into water; team survival swimming and coping in a liferaft in simulated darkness; how to deal with fires aboard lifeboats; how to right a capsized inshore lifeboat; and the importance of lifejackets.

The training was funded by The LRET, an independent charity that funds work to enhance the safety of life and property at sea, on land and in the air. It is funding the Sea Survival element of the Trainee Crew Course for a five year period from January 2011 to December 2015.

Talking about the training, Shane, who volunteers as a volunteer crew member said: “As a new member of the Portrush RNLI station this training added to my competency and confidence in working on the water.

“Boat handling, sea survival techniques, rope handling, team work and many other useful skills that may be applied during training exercises or shouts were covered. It is thanks to individual and corporate donations for paying the costs involved in training crew, such as those by The Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust that funds the invaluable sea survival training at the RNLI College.”

Shane who was inspired to join up as a volunteer crew member because of his love of the sea and the coast has since put his training to use. He was part of the crew who went out on the lifeboat to attend to a yacht that recently got into difficulties off the North Coast.