On Friday June 10 members of the Salcombe Lifeboat Crew came together with their families for a presentation ceremony and BBQ at the Fortescue Inn in Salcombe.

The first presentation was a “Long Service Medal” for a Crew Member who had completed 20 years of volunteer service on the Salcombe Lifeboat Crew. James Cooper is an ILB Helm and an Assistant Mechanic on the ALB; James is also a descendant of a crew member from the 1916 Lifeboat Disaster, and it is especially poignant to have such a member of the crew.

Lifeboat Operations Manager Andrew Arthur - reminded those present of a number of James’s memorable moments for example, Sunday morning exercises battered, bruised, and broken from the previous day’s rugby match, brought a smile from many.

Along with numerous stories from the past 20 years that support James and his dedication to Saving Lives at Sea, a dedication very much supported by his wife Jenny and children.

The second presentation of “The Queens Platinum Jubilee Medal” saw 23 members of the crew awarded a special commemorative Platinum Jubilee medal in recognition of the 65,886 lives the charity has saved during Her Majesty’s the Queen’s 70-year reign.

To make the presentations, Salcombe RNLI were honoured to have as their guest, Mr David Gross, a Vice President of the Institution, a long serving member of the Salcombe Lifeboat Management Group and former member of the RNLI Council.