Larne RNLI father-and-son duo Frank and Jack Healy plus father and daughter Martin and Sami Agnew have been reflecting on what it’s like to be on call together as both family and fellow crew members.
On average, RNLI lifeboats launch over 100 times during the Christmas period every year. Whatever weather winter throws at them, RNLI crews are ready to battle the elements to save lives at sea.
These rescues, and others all year round, are only made possible by the RNLI’s generous supporters, helping to fund the essential kit, training and equipment needed by lifeboat crews.
Frank Healy has been a lifeboat crew member at Larne RNLI for 29 years, 27 of those as coxswain. Before that he was a crew member at Red Bay RNLI, further north along Northern Ireland’s East Antrim coast, for three years. His son Jack joined the Larne crew in August 2018.
For five years now, Frank and Jack have been regularly training together and have been on a number of the same call-outs.
So, what’s it like to be on the crew with a family member? “I do enjoy Jack being on the lifeboat,” Frank says. “I enjoy seeing him go through the various stages and achieving the different goals — it’s hard to put into words how proud I feel when I see him doing that.”
But like many families who have a loved one on the lifeboat, there is concern too when they put the lifeboat to sea.
“Recently, on one of the shouts,” Frank recalls with a smile, “I had to put Jack aboard another vessel at two o’clock in the morning in a Force 8 gale and everyone thought it was a great achievement and a great job. Except his mother — and she gave me such a hard time for putting his life on the line.”
Father and daughter Martin and Sami Agnew aboard Larne RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat | Credit: RNLI/Larne
For Frank though, it was no surprise when Jack decided to join the crew: “I was absolutely delighted that he was going to be a part of it, but I had no doubt that that was going to happen because Jack had shown such an interest from an early age. When I was going out on shouts he would wait up until I came in and the first thing I would hear was this voice from our little boy’s bedroom: ‘Dad, what was it?’
“His achievements within the lifeboat also — it’s probably one of the drivers that is keeping me on the lifeboat. I enjoy going out training with Jack and I particularly enjoy when we go on call outs together. It’s really rewarding when you go out on a shout and you come in and everything has gone well but to have your big son beside you when you do it, it’s pretty special.”
Meanwhile, Sami Agnew joined the lifeboat crew in Larne in October 2009 following in the footsteps of her father Martin, who marks 25 years of volunteer service next year.
“Being on the crew with my dad is very special’ following in his footsteps makes me very proud and always having him there when I need him is like an extra safety net,” Sami says.
For both families, Christmas will be no different than any other day on call this year and should their pagers sound, they will be ready to respond.
“There’s no feeling quite like bringing someone home safe to their families,” Sami adds. “But as volunteer lifeboat crew we couldn’t launch without kind donations from the public which fund the kit, training and equipment we need to save others and get home safely to our own families.”
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the RNLI is launching its annual Christmas fundraising appeal for 2023 with a focus on the generations of families who have volunteered their time and commitment to ensure the charity’s lifesaving service has continued for nearly 200 years.
To make a donation to the RNLI’s Christmas Appeal, and enable the charity to continue its lifesaving work, visit RNLI.org/WinterAppeal.
