Blackpool RNLI thanks father and son for 53 years of saving lives at sea

Keith and Johno Horrocks had been involved in "countless rescues", the RNLI said

A father and son who both joined the RNLI as teenagers have announced their retirements after more than 50 years of helping to save lives at sea.

Keith Horrocks, 68, joined Blackpool's lifeboat crew in 1969 when he was 15, while his son Johno, 33, became a crew member in 2005 when he was 17.

Keith said it had been "one hell of a ride" but it was "time to get off and let the younger crew carry on".

The charity has thanked the pair for their work in "countless rescues".

Keith Horrocks, who became an MBE in 1999, initially served as crew at the Blackpool station and went on to helm the D class Inshore Lifeboat and Atlantic Inshore Lifeboat.

He was awarded an RNLI bronze medal for gallantry in January 1988 for his part in the rescue of two people from a capsized boat in horrendous conditions.

'Truly proud'

After retiring from crew in 1998, he volunteered as lifeboat station mechanic and later worked in management.

He said he had "met some incredible and dedicated people" and had been left with "memories that will never leave me".

"It has been one hell of a ride, but now it is time to get off and let the younger crew carry on the important job of saving lives at sea off the Fylde coast," he added.

His son Johno also helmed the D class Inshore Lifeboat and received an RNLI letter of thanks for his part in the dramatic rescue of a woman stranded by the incoming tide on a sandbank in 2015.

He said he was "stepping aside" after 17 years due to moving to Thornton Cleveleys and having a young family.

"I've made some great friends and shared some experiences I will never ever forget," he added.

Blackpool RNLI's Ian Butter said Keith could be "truly proud" after imparting "expertise and knowledge" to crews over 50 years.

He added that Johno was a "committed and capable" crew member and both men would be missed in the boathouse.

He also thanked Lynda Horrocks for her support of her husband and son, adding: "It takes a special kind of person to watch and wait and tolerate the uncertainties and inconveniences of a lifeboat life."

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