Tributes to ‘respected’ RNLI volunteer Dave
REDCAR RNLI has paid tribute to one of their own after the former crew member sadly died.
Dave Cammish spent 32 years of his life working as a volunteer crew member at Redcar Lifeboat Station where he served in various positions throughout his tenure.
Scarborough-born Dave enrolled as a crew member way back in 1982, where he serves on the station’s lifeboats until 1996.
He then became one of the RNLI’s deputy launching authorities before becoming lifeboat operations manager at Redcar in 2007.
Now, his colleagues at the Redcar Lifeboat Station have remembered their “highly respected” team member as a “perfect example of dedication”.
After hanging up his life jacket in 1996, Dave spent 11 years ensuring the safety of volunteers and those they were rescuing by liaising with the coastguards when the lifeboats were tasked to an incident.
He then stepped up into his role as operations manager, which he held until his 2014 retirement.
In 2011, he was even honoured with an RNLI gold award by the charity’s president, the Duke of
Kent. At the time of his award, he reflected on his memories over the years and points of pride throughout his career as a volunteer.
Dave said: “I think what’s pleased me most during my time as lifeboat operations manager is that, on every occasion the lifeboats have been called, the volunteer crews have returned home safely.”
Now his successor and colleagues have paid tribute to their friend who they called “100% RNLI to the core”.
Mike Picknett the current Lifeboat Operations Manager at Redcar RNLI said: “Dave was a highly respected member of the Redcar RNLI crew.
“He was a volunteer at Redcar Lifeboat Station for 32 years and a perfect example of the dedication and commitment all RNLI crews need so that they can continue to help with saving lives at sea.”
These sentiments were added to by Redcar RNLI Chairman Dave Cocks who said: “It’s always a sad day when we lose one of the lifeboat family.
“Dave was 100% RNLI to the core. I’d like to offer the sincere condolences of everyone associated with the Redcar RNLI Lifeboat Station to his wife and children.”