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Lifeboat volunteer’s two decades of service

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A north volunteer who has been saving lives at sea for more than two decades has been honoured for his dedication and long service.

Teacher Alan McDiarmid was one of the first to join the crew at RNLI Kessock when the station opened in 1993, earning a long service medal from the organisation.

Initially, he was taken on for a term of evaluation when the service was launched on the Black Isle with a D Class lifeboat.

In the intervening 21 years, he progressed to becoming a crewman on to his present position as a lifeboat helmsman, while hardly ever missing a training session.

Others now reap the benefits of his years of experience as he takes the helm of the lifeboat, with newer volunteers in awe of his commitment to the service.

He recently became chairman of the Kessock branch of the RNLI, and was praised by Paul Daly, RNLI operations manager for the Highlands.

Mr Daly said: “His desire to help the wider community and to save lives at sea is a fantastic demonstration of the volunteer commitment. Without such commitment the RNLI could no longer exist as a charity or as a lifesaving organisation.”

Among the many unusual moments in an eventful career, was a call to a yacht in trouble at Nairn, with Invergordon lifeboat assisting.

Mr McDiarmid, who lives in North Kessock, said: ” Myself and Alan Lipp from Invergordon had taken their boat through the surf a few times to get a line attached to the casualty vessel, busting our engine in the process.”

The pair ended up stranded on the beach and had to be rescued themselves.”