Life in peril on the sea – but I was in safe hands

Sep 20 2007 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

Hoylake RNLI this week launched a £2m campaign to fund a new lifeboat and station. Reporter Liam Murphy joined them on a training session in Mersey Bay

AS A confirmed landlubber who only learned to swim as an adult – and I have my Frosties Tony the Tiger badge to prove it – it was only my professional pride which stopped me from calling in sick.

The fear had welled up the previous night as I contemplated various “good reasons” for my absence. As it turned out, the seasickness finally only kicked in about 15 minutes before we finally returned to terra firma.

Hoylake’s RNLI lifeboat crew had invited me out for a “bit of a ride” on their Mersey class lifeboat, the Lady of Hilbre, and the opportunity to see what they are called upon to do, in all weathers and conditions, when lives are in peril at sea.

An extraordinary band of men and women who selflessly give up much of their free time and put their lives at risk at the bleep of a pager, they are now asking for people to help them raise part of the money the RNLI is spending on a modern life- boat station and replacing their ageing the Lady of Hilbre boat.

This was the crew’s chance to show why they are needed.

My own fear at being beyond my demonstrated 25m of swimming from the shore was tempered only by the thought if I fell off the boat the experts were on hand to drag me kicking and spluttering from the water.

Tugging my lifebelt to make sure it was secure, I signed the indemnity forms to relieve them of any responsibility if something nasty happened, then donned waterproofs borrowed from crew member Howie.

This week, the station and its supporters have launched a £2m appeal which will help pay for the new lifeboat station to replace the historic building on Hoylake Promenade.

As coxswain Dave Whiteley explained, the original boathouse was built in 1899 for rowing boats – which once upon a time were pulled out to sea by a team of horses – and the structure of the building has had to be extended over the century to accommodate increasingly larger, faster and better equipped lifeboats.

Mr Whiteley said: “The new boathouse will allow the tractor to be kept coupled up to the boat all the time so when we get the call we can go straight out.

“The new station will also provide us with better storage for our equipment, because sometimes our suits are still wet from the last shout.”

Part of the training session is “man overboard” in which one brave soul jumps in and the others have to rescue him.

Shortly after we pass Hilbre Island, Pete Nich- olas from Hoylake, who works for the investment arm of Norwich Union, jumps over the side.

The alarm is raised and the boat speeds round in a loop while Pete sets off a smoke bomb, before the lifeboat pulls alongside him.

After the action, I start feeling distinctly seasick as the crew are getting ready for the next time they are called out.

Which happened the very next day when a family of four found themselves stranded on Hilbre, watching the water lapping up towards them and no doubt breathing a huge sigh of relief to see the orange and black Lady of Hilbre bear down on them.

TO CONTRIBUTE to the appeal, call 0845 650 3999, log on to www.rnli.org.uk/hoylakeappeal or send a donation to RNLI Hoylake Appeal, Admail

TO WATCH Liam Murphy’s video report of his trip visit: www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk

liammurphy@dailypost.co.uk