End of an era as Whitby RNLI volunteer retires after 30 years
After serving for three decades with Whitby RNLI – and earning a long-service medal, volunteer Geoff Hodgson has retired.
Geoff, now 60, joined the Whitby crew when he was just 26 - his flat-mate at the time had joined a couple of months before and invited him along to training. Geoff, who grew up in Scarborough had often seen the lifeboat crew running past his window on shouts and said he never thought he would get the chance to do it himself one day.
In 1993 he became an official member of the crew under coxswain Pete Thomson MBE.
He recalls one of his most memorable shouts was to a missing diver, whom the crew found clinging to a small inflatable tube.
In 2003, Geoff qualified as helm on the inshore lifeboat, which he served on until 2019 when he reached the age limit for the D class, though he continued to support as a D class mechanic.
He also completed a navigator plan back in 2003 and served until his retirement as a navigator on the all weather lifeboat.
Last year, Geoff received a medal for his 30 years of service to the RNLI.
Station manager Barry Brown said: ‘Geoff has been a dedicated volunteer crew member, and a friend to all at Whitby Lifeboat Station and will be missed.
"We wish him well in his retirement and hope he enjoys the well-earned rest from the pager.”
“In his time at Whitby Lifeboat Station Geoff was involved with saving 152 lives for which he should feel extremely proud.”