A LIFEBOAT volunteer got his first shout in the sea on the same day crews celebrated their 100th service.

Sam Bray’s adrenaline was going high last Thursday when Harwich RNLI crews were called at 1.23am following reports of a yacht which had suffered a fouled propeller.

Sam, 26, of Harwich, was assigned a seat aboard Atlantic 85 to assist a ten-metre yacht in the Walton Backwaters on the same day Harwich RNLI recorded its 100th rescue.

After volunteers escorted the yacht back to Levington Marina, they were able to return to station and have the lifeboat ready for its next service by 3:15am.

Sam, who joined the Harwich RNLI earlier this year, has expressed his excitement following his first call.

He said: “ Getting suited and booted in PPE all sorts ran through my mind on what to expect when arriving to the casualty.

“Adrenaline is starting to kick in as you are riding the waves to get on the scene.

“Having joined the RNLI at the start of the year it has been exciting, challenging, interesting and lot to take in.”

He has also thanked Harwich RNLI for the training and helping him progress quickly with his new role.

He added: “I wanted to join the RNLI because I get a lot of down time with my full time job In which I'd like to give that time to helping others, especially in distress or even in life threatening situations.“

Volunteer lifeboat operations manager Peter Bull said: “The ability to respond to the increasing number of call outs we do is only possible due to the dedication and commitment of new crew members such as Sam who have really got stuck into their training.

“But this level of training would not be possible without the generosity of the public, without who’s support the RNLI wouldn’t function.

“It has been great to see the dedication Sam and his fellow new volunteers have displayed to their training, allowing them to quickly progress to boat crew, which means we are in a position again to recruit willing volunteers to ensure we can continue to save lives at sea 24/7."

Anyone wishing to join the volunteers at Harwich RNLI can contact Peter Bull at peter_bull2@rnli.org.uk