TIGHNABRUAICH RNLI has welcomed a new volunteer crew member after he completed specialist emergency procedures training in preparation for responding to rescues at sea.
Timothy Roper, who grew up locally and has some leisure sailing experience, recently travelled to the RNLI College in Poole, Dorset, where new crew members are trained using realistic emergency scenarios.
The facility’s specialist training pool allows volunteers to experience some of the challenging conditions they could encounter during a real-life rescue, while becoming familiar with the equipment and procedures used by RNLI crews.
Among the exercises Timothy faced was working as part of a team to right a capsized vessel in difficult conditions.
Having previously watched the RNLI television series Saving Lives at Sea, Timothy knew about the charity’s lifesaving work but admitted he was unsure what to expect from the training.
He said: “When you’re in the training pool with the waves splashing your face, feeling around under a boat in the dark, I realised how important it is that there are people who know what to do and how to help someone in trouble.”
The experience has also given Timothy a new perspective on his decision to join the volunteer crew at Tighnabruaich.
He said volunteering had been an experience that has made me really think about why I’m doing it and has challenged me in a good way.
His next challenge will take him away from Cowal to Edinburgh Napier University, where he is set to study engineering, with the possibility of eventually pursuing a career at sea.
In the meantime, Timothy joins the team of volunteers at Tighnabruaich RNLI, ready to continue his training and play his part in the charity’s lifesaving work on the water.
