Retiring coxswain ready to take on new role with lifeboat charity
MIKE RUSSELL was working on a fishing boat and running a fishing shop when he joined Whitby RNLI back in 1987.
No stranger to the sea, he was keen to join the volunteer lifesaving crew in his home town.
There have been many memorable call-outs in the course of 30 years with the charity, although Mr Russell said the funny ones had stayed with him just as long as the tragedies.
He will never forget the time crew member Stephen Boocock had to swim around after a labrador in need of rescuing.
Nor will he forget the 22 hours spent searching the North Sea for two lads in a small fishing vessel – and the relief he felt when they were found at last.
“We talk things through after a difficult shout,” he said. “But we also have a lot of laughs, a lot of mick-taking. It keeps things light, which you need when you see some of the things we see.”
Mr Russell eventually held the posts of emergency coxswain and second coxswain, before taking over as coxswain in 2002 when his predecessor, Keith Stewart, retired. His commitment to the charity’s work has been unwavering, with the understanding of his family proving crucial to his ability to carry out the role.
Carolyn, his wife, has been left sitting alone in a restaurant or found herself stranded with a full trolley of shopping on many an occasion after Mr Russell has been paged and driven off in the car to the lifeboat station.
And after stepping down as coxswain, Mr Russell is relishing the prospect of more time with his family. “I’m looking forward to be able to give them more of my time and especially my two grandchildren,” he said.
”Carolyn has been very understanding, missing out on shopping trips and weekends away – I think I’m going to have to suffer some shopping trips now to make up for it!”
Those counted as family to Mr Russell are not just those at home though. “The crew have been my family for the last 30 years too,” he said. “We socialise together as well as train. This means when we’re out to sea we’ve got each others’ backs.”
While Mr Russell is retiring from his sea-faring position, his days working for the RNLI in Whitby are far from over.
He will now be getting stuck into a new voluntary role as chairman, with the first order of business being to thank the fundraisers and supporters who are the backbone of the charity.
He said: “I’ve grown very close to many of our fundraisers over the years. They raise money, raise awareness, they even bring me Cornish pasties. We wouldn’t be here without them.”