Long-service awards for RNLI veterans

Thursday, 30 October 2025 10:20

By Gareth Joy X @lookoutwales2

RNLI / Nick White

Three veteran RNLI volunteers in Penarth have been honoured with long-service awards.

Between them, Andrew Rabaitotti, Karl Lawrence and Ian Mock have a combined 105 years of experience at the town's lifeboat station - and helped to save over 200 lives.

The trio were honoured at a special evening earlier this month.

Andrew was one of the inaugural members when the Penarth station was reformed in the early 1980s - and went onto serve in nearly every role imaginable, including two stints as Lifeboat Operations Manager from 1996 to 2004 and again from 2012 to 2016.

He began by helping on shore becoming becoming a part of the inshore lifeboat crew in 1986, before filling other key roles such as tractor driver, launch authority and safety officer.

Andrew said: "It was with great pleasure that I served, and I am very proud of my role and of the many others, some no longer with us who helped to re-establish the important work of the RNLI in Penarth and across the wider Cardiff area."

Another volunteer who helped reformed the Penarth lifeboat station was Karl Lawrence, who joined as a crew member in 1980 and continues to volunteer to this day.

Later serving as a helm and a head launch authority, Karl's behind-the-scenes work has recently included co-ordinating the scattering of ashes of former volunteers at ceremonies - a compassionate role providing comfort and dignity to their families.

More recently, Ian Mock joined the RNLI in Penarth in 2007, initially as a lifeboat crew member before joining the shore crew in 2015 - a role he continues to this day, which includes managing some of the technical and mechanical maintenance within the station.

Another stalwart volunteer, Gareth Wigmore - who was awarded last year for his 40 years service - shared stories from the 1980s, including some which, as he noted "wouldn't quite pass today's risk assessments".

One particular tale puzzled some of the younger volunteers, as it involved a mishap with a maroon. Gareth explained that a maroon is a type of signal rocket that produces a loud bang and bright flash, once used to alert crew members to a launch before the days of pagers and mobile phones.

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