Angle Lifeboat Recruitment “Becoming Increasingly Challenging”

Angle lifeboat station, which the RNLI has said is “becoming increasingly challenging” to sustain, is now actively seeking crew from across the water in Milford Haven.

Fears have been expressed locally that the station – one of the busiest in west Wales – could be downgraded in favour of activities being run from Milford Haven.

Earlier this month, an RNLI spokesperson said: “It is becoming increasingly challenging for the RNLI to sustain operations at Angle Lifeboat Station due to its remote location and declining population.

“Since 2012, a local operating procedure has been in place for Angle’s all-weather lifeboat to collect crew from Milford Haven when attending incidents to ensure adequate crewing levels.

“The RNLI has recently provided extra support to crew based in Milford Haven, developing more infrastructure and dedicated training for volunteers.

“Angle’s all-weather lifeboat is currently based on a swing mooring to ensure it can be launched quickly and effectively in an emergency, due to limited amount of shore crew with daytime availability at Angle.

“Supplementing this arrangement, the RNLI has been operating from Milford Haven three days a week in order to maintain our lifesaving effect. We are working with Milford Haven Port Authority with a view to extending this arrangement to a 24/7 service for a three-to-six-month trial.

“We will still require the services of the Angle RNLI volunteer crew, but continue to review the situation in order to ensure the long-term viability of the station.

“The RNLI is committed to ensuring an effective lifesaving effect in the Cleddau Estuary and surrounding area and is grateful to Milford Haven Port Authority for their ongoing support.”

As part of a recruitment drive, Angle RNLI has now said on social media: “It is becoming increasingly challenging for the RNLI to sustain operations at Angle Lifeboat Station, therefore an exciting opportunity has arisen as we are recruiting volunteer lifeboat crew from Milford Haven.

“The RNLI has been operating from Milford Haven three days a week in order to maintain our lifesaving effect. We are working with the Milford Haven Port Authority with a view to extending this arrangement to a 24/7 service for a trial period.”

The post links to an RNLI recruitment page seeking all weather lifeboat crew members, which says: “This role will help us save lives at sea by ensuring that our lifeboats are in a state of permanent readiness and crewing the lifeboat on service and exercise, under the command of the coxswain.”

Formed in 1868, the station owes its launch to the generosity of a prominent north England philanthropist, Titus Salt junior, of Bradford.

Angle’s second lifeboat, the Henry Martin Harvey, in 1894, took part in its most famous rescue, of the passengers and crew of the ‘whisky ship’ Loch Shiel.

The day after the rescues, the Loch Shiel began to break up and her cargo – which included 100 percent proof whisky – came ashore at West Angle Bay.

While customs officers quickly came to claim the whisky, much of it mysteriously disappeared.