Portree RNLI welcomes new Lifeboat Operations Manager

Douglas MacDougall, who first joined the RNLI in Aberdeen in 1990, has recently taken over the volunteer role from John Ellis.

John has served as part of the Portree RNLI volunteer crew since November 1997 but had been helping with fundraising for 4 years before that. Although he is now retiring from the lead operations role, John will remain an active part of the volunteer shore-based crew as a Launch Authority.

John said:

‘My grandfather had been a merchant seaman all his working life and I was always interested in the RNLI through his stories. I wanted to play a part in the RNLI as I felt it was a way to give something back to the Portree community that welcomed me and my family when we moved from Aberdeen in 1990.

‘The RNLI has always been a very professional organisation and provides world-class training to ensure that all the crew are safe. The biggest change during my time has been the introduction of the training centre at Poole, which is now a centre of excellence that is recognised worldwide.’

Douglas first started his service with the RNLI in August 1990 whilst working in Aberdeen. Over the next 24 years, he served on both the all-weather and inshore D-class lifeboats.

When his family moved to Portree in 2007, Douglas joined the Portree RNLI volunteer crew but continued to be a part of Aberdeen RNLI when on the East coast for work.

Douglas said:

‘I first joined the RNLI as I saw it as a good opportunity to work in a volunteer capacity with like-minded individuals who had a shared love of the sea and, at the same time, were able to help others who got into difficulty or distress in the marine or coastal environment.

‘When my family first moved to Skye, I was able to continue to be a part of the volunteer RNLI crew in Aberdeen whilst also joining Portree RNLI for the first time. It was a case of switching between the East and West pagers depending on where I was!’

In 2014, Douglas returned to Portree after 32 years of working away.

Speaking of his appointment to Lifeboat Operations Manager, Douglas added:

‘Taking over as the Lifeboat Operations Manager (LOM) is another challenge at a different time of life. It’s a role that I’m looking forward to, in which I’ll seek to continue the unwavering commitment undertaken by John and the other Launch Authorities; Peter Urquhart, and the recently retired Ian MacPherson. John will continue as a Launch Authority on a 2-year extension which provides some continuity as I take up my new position. My challenge in 2 years will be to get another ‘extension’ out of him!’

Stuart Nicolson, Portree RNLI lifeboat Coxswain, said:

‘On behalf of all the crew and volunteers at Portree RNLI, we would like to thank John for his service and support during his time as LOM, but we are very pleased that he will be remaining part of the team in another shore-based role as a Launch Authority.

‘We also congratulate Douglas on being appointed to the position of Lifeboat Operations Manager and are looking forward to continuing to work with him’.

The RNLI is a charity that has been saving lives at sea for over two hundred years. It relies on donations and support from the public to operate the lifesaving service that it does.

There are over 5,700 volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew members at 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, with a further 4,000 volunteer shore crew members. Our volunteers are on call and ready to respond to calls for help 24 hrs a day, 365 days of the year.

ENDS

Notes to editors

• All photos in this press release are credited to Portree RNLI.
• Portree Lifeboat Station was established in 1991 and operates a Trent class all-weather lifeboat – ‘Stanley Watson Barker’. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/portree-lifeboat-station

RNLI media contacts

For further information, please contact:

Robert MacInnes, Lifeboat Press Officer at Portree RNLI: 07950 421829 / [email protected]

Natasha Rushby, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland: 07826 900639 / [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland: 07920 365929 / [email protected]

RNLI Press Office: 01202 336789 or [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.