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Channel crews receive Global Search and Rescue 'Mission of the Year' Award

Our volunteer crews from Dungeness, Dover, Walmer and Ramsgate have received international recognition for their dedicated lifesaving work in the English Channel. 

RNLI crew members in formal dress receiving an award at a presentation

Photo: RNLI

Left to right: Paul Jarvis (Area Technical Manager), Gary West (Volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager, Ramsgate RNLI), Vicky Morgan (Volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager, Dungeness RNLI), Denis Brophy (Volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager, Walmer RNLI), Rob Bendhiaf (Volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager, Dover RNLI), Jason Carroll (Area Operations Manager)

International recognition for saving lives at sea

In a proud moment for our charity, volunteer crews from four of our English Channel stations have been awarded the 2025 ‘Mission of the Year’ at the Global Search and Rescue Awards. Newly established by the Institute of Search and Technical Rescue, the awards recognise the skill and dedication of lifesavers from around the world.

This recognition celebrates the extraordinary commitment, skill and courage demonstrated by the crews at Dungeness, Dover, Walmer and Ramsgate lifeboat stations who have faced highly challenging rescue scenarios, involving large numbers of distressed men, women and children in the water.  

Since 2019, these volunteer crews have responded to a significant increase in callouts, conducting complex rescues in extremely difficult conditions and responding to multiple callouts over successive days.

RNLI Area Operations Manager Jason Carroll said: ‘I am incredibly proud of our crews who continue to respond selflessly to their pagers, day or night, simply to help others.

‘They don’t do it to win awards but equally, are honoured for this recognition of their skill and courage by the global search and rescue community, which they are proud to be a part of.’

Innovation in the face of challenge

The RNLI won the award ahead of shortlisted nominees from the UK, Turkey, Germany and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). What makes this award particularly significant is how our volunteers have responded when faced with an extremely demanding search and rescue environment. They have worked with the charity to:

  • Create and develop new lifesaving equipment and techniques to rescue casualties more quickly from freezing water

  • Develop translation materials to communicate more effectively with people of different nationalities in distress 

  • Establish new protocols to ensure casualties can stay afloat until they can be reached

Supporting our people

The award also recognises the approach to crew welfare. The teams have ensured their members are supported through:

  • A network of peer counsellors

  • Family support volunteers

  • Regular debriefs to improve practice and reduce risk

This approach to crew welfare reflects our commitment to looking after our volunteers who face traumatic incidents and challenging circumstances and work in this area is ongoing.

Occupational Health and Wellbeing Manager, Michelle Johnson, said: ‘The RNLI has developed a Framework for Lifesaving – Achieving Individual Resilience (FL-AIR) to support our crews' mental health and wellbeing from their onboarding and throughout their volunteer journey to whenever they leave the RNLI.

‘This framework includes Trauma Risk Management (TRiM), self-referral to Occupational Health, access to psychological clinical services and Trauma at Sea Impact Prevention (TASIP), which is a set of cognitive skills to help our crews safely and effectively process traumatic incidences.

‘TASIP was piloted at 21 lifeboat stations, including some of our Channel stations, between September 2024 and March this year with the crews actively supporting and contributing to its success. Work is now underway to roll out across the RNLI.’

Living our values

RNLI Chief Executive Peter Sparkes said: ‘We are extremely proud of our crews who continue to save the lives of men, women and children crossing one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in small, overcrowded and unseaworthy boats.

‘This prestigious award recognises their embodiment of the RNLI’s Values - trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable. They continue to demonstrate extraordinary commitment to the RNLI’s mission to save lives at sea, often in the most challenging circumstances imaginable.

‘They truly represent Sir William Hillary's founding vision of volunteers “in constant readiness to risk their own lives for the preservation of those whom they have never known or seen, merely because they are in extreme peril.”’

In 2024, the RNLI launched 114 times to Channel crossing incidents, which was 1.2% of the total number of launches for the entire RNLI. During those shouts 1,371 people were rescued.

More information on the RNLI’s lifesaving work in the Channel can be found on the RNLI's website.

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