Stephen Manson has stepped into the role of full-time coxswain at the RNLI’s Lerwick lifeboat station in Shetland.
He has been part of the volunteer crew on the Lerwick lifeboat since October 2018 but will now take on new responsibilities including crew training and station administration.
Over the coming months, the 29-year-old will undergo training in boat handling, advanced navigation and search and rescue planning before fully taking command of the lifeboat in future launches.
Mr Manson, who originally trained as a vehicle mechanic and has more recently been employed on workboats in the local salmon industry, will work alongside full-time lifeboat mechanic Ian Harms.
New beginnings
The new coxswain is taking over the post from Darren Harcus, who has been appointed as a resilience coxswain for the north of Scotland.
Mr Harcus’ family live in Lerwick, so he still intends on volunteering with the lifeboat when he visits.
Malcolm Craigie, lifeboat operations manager at Lerwick Lifeboat Station, said: “I’m delighted that Stephen and Darren have both been appointed to these full-time roles – they’re both experienced and capable members of our lifeboat crew.
“We rely on full-time crew members to train and support our volunteer crews and to keep the lifeboat ready for launch 24/7.”
