RNLI trainee gets first call out within minutes

Becky Maw was given a pager by operations manager Kay Heslop moments before getting her first call

A trainee lifeboat volunteer was called to her first job less than 30 minutes after receiving her emergency pager following the completion of her training.

Becky Maw was learning how to to switch on the device when she heard the RNLI Cullercoats operations manager's voice come out of it, announcing they had received a request from the Coastguard.

"It suddenly became very real," Ms Maw, who has volunteered as shore crew, said.

She prepared the boathouse to receive a casualty who had been saved from the water by the station's Atlantic 85 lifeboat.

The Cullercoats RNLI crew was called out to deal with an incident involving a person in the water

The lifeboat was taking part in a routine weekly training exercise at the time when it was suddenly diverted to assist with an ongoing incident involving a person in the water.

Ms Maw, a naval architect who recently moved to the area, had just completed her shore crew assessment and been given her pager when the job came in.

"Whilst it's been fun learning the new skills as part of my training plan, the value of it quickly became evident when the pager sounded," she said.

"It suddenly became very real and made me realise the importance and quality of the training," Ms Maw added.