Littlehampton lifeboatman steps down as helm after 25 years of saving lives at sea

In the role, Andy Harris has been responsible for the inshore lifeboat during launching, at sea and through recovery, as well as the safety of the crew on board.

A long-standing member of the RNLI volunteer boat crew at Littlehampton, Andy has been saving lives at sea since 1996 and will remain involved as part of the shore crew.

He said he had most enjoyed ‘the camaraderie, being out on the water, driving our fabulous lifeboats’ in his time with the RNLI.

The lifeboat station has been in Littlehampton for 53 years, funded entirely by charitable donations, and Andy has been involved for almost half that time as crew.

An experienced seafarer familiar with the local tides, weather and seabed conditions, he has guided volunteers through training and on emergency calls to assist those in distress at sea and in the River Arun.

He is modest about his involvement in memorable shouts but did highlight one incident from 2011, when he and his fellow crew were aboard the now retired lifeboat Blue Peter 1.

Together, they rescued three people from a small 7ft inflatable toy dinghy, which had been reported to be half a mile off Worthing seafront, with the occupants waving for help.

Andy said that when the lifeboat arrived on scene, the casualties were nearly two miles offshore and showing signs of hypothermia and disorientation, having spent a night at sea with only lightweight clothing and no lifejackets.

Blue Peter 1 was retired in 2016 and replaced by the current Atlantic-85 vessel Renee Sherman, built in East Cowes.

Andy said: “It was a privilege to be able to drive the boat all the way from the Isle of Wight and bring her to her new home. Together with our D-class vessel Ray of Hope, we have great lifesaving assets available to deploy.”

He also recalls being asked to stand in with some fellow volunteers as extras, together with Blue Peter 1, for Channel 4 comedy The Inbetweeners. Although the storyline was set in Swanage, the river and seafront part of the filming was actually done in Littlehampton.

Andy works as a builder, mostly on domestic contracts, but he is never far from the water, as he runs fishing charters on his boat out of Littlehampton Harbour.

Nick White, lifeboat operations manager, said: “Andy is a superb helm and held in high esteem by us all.

“We are delighted that he will still be part of the charity’s volunteer team here at Fisherman’s Quay as a mechanic and as a member of the shore crew, where, using his many years of experience, he will assist launches and advise other RNLI volunteers on boat and incident handling.”