Tributes paid to 'father figure' of region's RNLI

Bob McLaughlin had been involved with the RNLI in west Cumbria for more than 60 years

Tributes have been paid to an RNLI stalwart who dedicated more than 60 years to saving lives at sea.

Bob McLaughlin, of Whitehaven, Cumbria, died on Thursday at the age of 89.

He helped found St Bees RNLI, was life president of the charity's Whitehaven branch and also chairman of the Workington one.

Tim Chittenden, operations manager at Workington RNLI, said: "He was a father figure for the crew, he was a friend to everybody and he was always around - he will leave a huge hole."

He added Mr McLaughlin had joined the Coastguard in Whitehaven in the 1960s and then became associated with the RNLI a few years later.

At St Bees, he was a senior helmsman, and was described by the charity as a "major supporter" of the Whitehaven branch's fundraisers since 1985.

Mr McLaughlin met the Duke of Kent during his time volunteering for the RNLI

He became operations manager of Workington RNLI from1995 to 2006 and was named honorary life governor of the RNLI when he retired in 2016 - one of the charity's highest awards.

He was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in 1988 and in 2022 he celebrated 60 years with the organisation.

John Stobbart, a former coxwain at Workington RNLI, said: "I [have] seen most sides of this unique gentleman - from a caring family man to the roughness of an old sea dog.

"But with that roughness came a passion for people and knowing what was right and wrong then trying to get the best outcome from what you have to work with."

Mr McLaughlin had become the charity's "unofficial archivist", having photographed several of the vessels he served on

One of Mr McLaughlin's favourite anecdotes, the charity said, was during a royal visit with the Duke of Kent.

Mr McLaughlin was among the crew due to pick up the duke from Kirkcudbrightshire in Scotland.

His oilskins had been delivered in advance by a police escort, however, on the way to pick him up, the crew realised it had left the oilskins behind at the station.

A different set of oilskins was given to him and Mr McLaughlin used to joke that no one had noticed the mix-up.

The charity said Mr McLaughlin had become Workington RNLI's "unofficial archivist", having taken thousands of pictures of the vessels he had volunteered on.

Earlier this year he curated an exhibition at the Beacon Museum in Whitehaven to mark the RNLI's 200th anniversary.