Barmouth RNLI volunteers take the plunge at the Lifeboat College

Two RNLI lifeboat crew members from Barmouth have completed a challenging course at the RNLI’s purpose-built training centre.

Aaron Griffith, 24, and his brother Bobby, 22, have returned from The Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset, with a week of specialised D class lifeboat crew training under their belts. The course trains lifeboat men and women in the many skills needed to crew a D class inshore lifeboat. The crew members stayed on site and trained at the College’s Sea Survival Centre.

Some of the training saw Aaron and Bobby in deep water, as they faced scenarios in which they had to right a capsized D class lifeboat in the wave tank. The wave tank is also used for training in sea survival techniques. Other aspects of the course included training in basic boat handling and search and rescue techniques in Poole Bay.

John Probert, Lifeboat Operations Manager, says: ‘Training is the magic ingredient that turns ordinary people into RNLI lifesavers. The courage and dedication of our volunteer crews comes free, we must provide the best possible training to support their commitment.’

Other facilities at The Lifeboat College, which was opened by Her Majesty The Queen in July 2004, include classrooms, a 150-seat auditorium, 60 bedrooms, a learning resource centre, and a restaurant.

Photograph: Aaron and Bobby by RNLI.