The lifeboat crews who are 'always ready to help'

Liz Wilson is presented with her 20-year service medal by Staithes and Runswick RNLI station chairman Neil Anderson

Christmas might be a time of fun, food and festivities for many, but for some it can be a race to save lives.

RNLI volunteer Liz Wilson is on call over the holiday period for the 20th year in a row.

She fully expects her beeper to go off, with the charity receiving more than 100 calls annually between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day.

Fortunately, she won't be alone in leaving the table during Christmas dinner if there's a call out - other family members, including her husband Chris, are also volunteers.

Liz, pictured in 2017, is from a family of RNLI volunteers including her husband, father and uncle.

Mrs Wilson began volunteering at Staithes and Runswick RNLI near Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast in late 2004.

She was called out as shore crew soon after on 27 December that year and did the same thing the next day.

Following training at her station and in Poole, she was called out as boat crew for the first time in May 2005.

She follows in the footsteps of her father, Willie, and uncle, James Wright, who were also crew.

Her mother Lucy was part of the Ladies Guild - a group dedicated to fundraising for the charity.

Mrs Wilson said her most dramatic rescue came in September 2016 when a 40-foot (12.2m) yacht ran aground in thick fog near Skinningrove.

It had taken three RNLI lifeboats 10 hours to rescue passengers and stabilise the vessel, which was sailing from Grimsby to Scotland.

No-one was hurt and the yacht was saved.

'Always ready'

Now, when she and her husband are called into action, she said it was "like we're both in some kind of mad dash to be the first one out."

"Chris, as the launch vehicle driver, and I both end up tripping over each other, trying to get out of the door as quickly as possible," she explained.

Throughout 2024, events have been taking place to mark the 200th anniversary of the RNLI, including a special service at York Minster.

Mrs WIlson added: "There's nothing quite like being able to bring someone safely back to their family – especially at Christmas time.

"Even during the holiday season, people can still get into trouble on the water, and we're always ready to leave our own celebrations to help."

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