A 17 year old Lyme Regis schoolboy has become the youngest member of the volunteer crew of the town’s RNLI lifeboat.

 

Ritchie Durrant was 17 last weekend (Oct 26) and was officially accepted as a crew member at one minute past midnight on his birthday.He is one of four young people who have been attached to the Lyme Regis lifeboat station through the Duke of Edinburgh award Scheme.

 

Ritchie, a sixth former at the Woodroffe School, has permission to respond to a lifeboat ‘shout’ when his pager beeps while he is in school – so long as he is not in the middle of a lesson or exam.

 

Ritchie, who has two uncles who are crew members, said: “I thoroughly enjoy my involvement with the lifeboat.

 

“It does give me a buzz, but it is also about giving something to the community in which I have always lived.”

 

Lifeboat  Operations Manager Rob Fossett said:”We are delighted to have Ritchie confirmed as an operational  crew member. “He has been a very enthusiastic helper, but now it’s official – he is a fully fledged member of the team.”

Posted on 04/11/2008