RNLI volunteer crews win Global Search and Rescue ‘Mission of the Year’ award
Volunteer RNLI lifeboat crews from Dungeness, Dover, Walmer and Ramsgate, have been recognised for their lifesaving work at the inaugural Global Search & Rescue Excellence Awards.
Representatives of the four lifeboat stations in Kent collectively received the ‘Search and Rescue Mission of the Year’ award at a ceremony on 16 May in recognition of the complex and distressing rescues they undertake in the English Channel.
Established by the Institute of Search and Technical Rescue, the awards recognise the skill and dedication of lifesavers from around the world.
The RNLI won the award ahead of shortlisted nominees from the UK, Turkey, Germany and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
RNLI Area Operations Manager Jason Carroll said: ‘I am incredibly proud of our crews who continue to respond selflessly to their pagers, day or night, simply to help others.
‘They don’t do it to win awards but equally, are honoured for this recognition of their skill and courage by the global search and rescue community, which they are proud to be a part of.
‘Our crews face an extremely demanding search and rescue environment in the English Channel and are often confronted with highly challenging rescue scenarios, involving large numbers of distressed people in the water. But they continue to respond with dedication and commitment.’
RNLI Chief Executive Peter Sparkes said: ‘We are extremely proud of our crews who continue to save the lives of men, women and children crossing one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in small, overcrowded and unseaworthy boats.
‘This prestigious award recognises their embodiment of the RNLI’s Values - trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable. They continue to demonstrate extraordinary commitment to the RNLI’s mission to save lives at sea, often in the most challenging circumstances imaginable.
‘They truly represent Sir William Hillary's founding vision of volunteers “in constant readiness to risk their own lives for the preservation of those whom they have never known or seen, merely because they are in extreme peril.”’
In 2024, the RNLI launched 114 times to Channel crossing incidents which was 1.2% of the total number of launches for the entire RNLI. During those shouts 1,371 people were rescued.
FIRE magazine editor and awards host Andrew Ledgerton-Lynch said: ‘I am delighted to have introduced the first Global Search & Rescue Excellence Awards which proved an exciting and memorable celebration of search and rescue personnel and supporters from around the world.
‘Shining a spotlight on personnel is the best way to recognise everyday unsung heroes, share best practice and promote innovation and collaboration. We are sure this will be the first of many awards ceremonies and will grow in value and influence. Congratulations to the RNLI Dover, Dungeness, Ramsgate and Walmer stations on their well-deserved accolade.’
Notes to editor:
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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