Shoreham RNLI lifeboat volunteer’s dedicated 40 years of service

Shoreham RNLI Lifeboat second coxswain Simon Tugwell with his 40-year service medals

He joined the boat to follow in the footsteps of his dad, Geoff, who was a crew member with Shoreham lifeboat for more than 41 years. He has served on five different all weather lifeboats with five different coxswains over the years at the station. His first lifeboat was the Rother-class The Davys Family, while his dad was serving as emergency mechanic on the boat.

And he even managed to help save a life 40 years to the day he joined Shoreham lifeboat crew. On Tuesday 13 June, he was the coxswain on the all weather lifeboat when it launched to the aid of a man who had gone out on an inflatable kayaker off Hove and had been blown offshore by more than three miles. He had been at sea alone for six hours and was cold, wet, exhausted and lost. Simon and his crew located him and rescued him onboard saving his life.

During the last 40 years of service, Simon has shown selfless dedication to the RNLI and helped to save hundreds of lives.

Shoreham lifeboat's Simon Tugwell helming the inshore lifeboat in flooded Uckfield High Street

He received an RNLI Vellum service certificate for the rescue of the stricken yacht Trimley Maid in gale force nine winds off the coast in 1999. Also an RNLI’s Framed Letter of Thanks for his actions in 2011 after the yacht Crazy H which was on a voyage from Shoreham to France collided with a 60ft trawler and had been dismasted on the edge of the shipping lanes 23 miles off Shoreham.

Other stand out services include the floods in Lewes and Uckfield of 2000 when he spent hours in the inshore lifeboat rescuing people from their homes and when he and a fellow crew member had to be airlifted to safety after trying to stop an enormous 100m-long runaway barge from straying into the shipping lanes in 2006.

He has seen countless developments and changes over the years in the RNLI including the demolition of the former lifeboat station in 2009 and the opening of the current lifeboat station and welcoming the Tamar-class all weather lifeboat Enid Collett in 2010, following a huge community fund-raising appeal which raised £100,000.

Simon said: “The lifeboat is a huge part of my life and I can’t believe I have been involved for 40 years. It is an honour and privilege, and I couldn’t have done any of it without the support of the lifeboat coxswains, crews, station volunteers and my family. I love being able to help someone in trouble and being part of a team.”

Simon was presented with his RNLI 40-year service medal and 40-year bar at a surprise celebration event at the Sussex Yacht Club, Shoreham.