Pwllheli RNLI has appointed Lindsay Rees as its first ever female volunteer launch vehicle driver since the station was founded 133 years ago.

The drivers, who form part of the lifeboat station’s shore crew, are vital in saving lives at sea; without them, no lifeboat could be launched or recovered.

Lindsay, who joined Pwllheli RNLI in 2022 as a member of the shore crew and has now progressed to launch vehicle driver, said: “I was brought up to respect the work that the RNLI does and volunteering for the RNLI is something I’ve always wanted to do.

“I’m proud to be giving something back to my community and making my kids proud of their Mam.

“I’ve enjoyed the training the RNLI has given me and look forward to continuing training for the SLARS, which is the large, tracked vehicle for launching and recovering the Shannon all-weather lifeboat.”

The role includes taking charge of the launch vehicle during the launch and recovery of the lifeboat for both services and exercises under the direction of the head launcher or helm. Lindsay has initially passed her assessment to launch Pwllheli RNLI’s D-Class inshore lifeboat, driving the Tooltrack tracked vehicle.