TWO RNLI volunteers have celebrated 20 years of service by reflecting on the ups and downs of saving lives at sea.

Eddie Mason or 'Loud Ed' as he is known by crewmates and Rob Archer, both from Hartlepool have been reflecting on their time as part of the Hartlepool coastal rescue team.

From the serious incidents that they respond to everyday to the crazy one-off moments, the pair have seen a lot during their service.

Mr Mason said: “Most importantly I'm part of the amazing crew who volunteer to save lives at sea. We are not judgemental we just want to bring people back to shore safely offering whatever we can do to help. I do enjoy the banter at the station during shouts or social events which is probably where I got my 'Loud Ed' nickname from'.

“As with all the crew here we could not provide the commitment to the role without the support from our families so I would like to thank my wife Michaela and daughter Eden for being there for me when I have to rush away to the boathouse in the middle of family events or in the middle of the night.”

Rob Archer from the Headland, Hartlepool says that his reason for joining was that a family member was previously on the crew, and he wanted to follow in his footsteps.

The first problem for Rob when he joined was finding some wellington boots for his size 15 feet. 'Apparently, they had to have some specially made for me' said the 6ft 6'' offshore worker.

Mr Archer recalled rescuing a man stuck in a large pool of water and sand at Seaton Carew was very challenging.

He said: “The tide was coming in quickly so thanks to some great teamwork with my fellow lifeboat crew, coastguards and fire service we got him out just in time and this was the shout that won us the 'Pride of Britain' award which was amazing.’

“Amongst some of the random moments I remember the time I discovered a portable toilet floating out to sea whilst out on a training exercise and towed it back to the Ferry Road boathouse as it could have been a hazard to small boats at the time.”

Hartlepool RNLI Lifeboats Operations Manager Chris Hornsey said: “Both Rob and Eddie are well-respected characters at the boathouse and their commitment to the institution over the years has been incredible.”

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