KEVIN ESCOTT, the man who has run Minehead's lifeboat station for 16 years, has stepped down at the age of 68 after a remarkable career as an RNLI volunteer spanning 60 years.
He first rattled a collecting tin for the charity at the age of 8, when he went to Watchet Lifeboat Day with his auntie.
Since then he's been an RNLI shore helper, a crew member, a fundraiser and until his retirement, the volunteer RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager at Minehead.
When Kevin was a boy the Minehead lifeboat used to visit Watchet Lifeboat Day to fly the RNLI flag. Clutching the 6d charge to take a trip around the bay, Kevin stepped aboard Minehead's first motor lifeboat, Kate Greatorex, a 35ft surf lifeboat with a top speed of six and a half knots, and knew then that the world of lifeboats was for him.
See Thursday's County Gazette for the full story.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article