RNLI volunteer at Kessock Lifeboat Station near Inverness presented with medal for 40 years’ service
Doug Grant recalls as a youngster witnessing a half-submerged ship which had grounded near his home, knowing his father had helped to rescue 12 people.
It was why he volunteered the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
After notching up a remarkable 40 years - including 22 at the Kessock Lifeboat Station - and helping to save countless lives, he has been awarded an RNLI Long Service Medal.
It was presented by the Depute Lord Lieutenant for Ross-shire Angus Watson who also presented King’s Coronation Medals to 10 members of the Kessock team with a minimum of five years service.
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Doug (57) joined the RNLI in 1984, following in the steps of his father, Mike, and his grandfather, Jack, who served on hundreds of rescues with the Selsey lifeboat in West Sussex.
When he later moved from England to the Black Isle, he transferred to the Kessock Lifeboat Station.
Over the years, he has taken on various roles including crew member, shore crew, casualty care, helm, mechanic, launch vehicle driver and launch authority.
His son, Johnny, also continued the family RNLI tradition four years ago when he joined Wick Lifeboat as mechanic coxswain.
During his years with the service, Doug has gone out in all weather including storm force 11 conditions and challenging conditions but insists he always finds he enjoys himself.
“We have saved a few lives over the years,” he reflected.
“It comes natural to me. It is just one of those things you automatically go into savings someone’s life.
“You know someone’s life is in your hands and you try your hardest to save them.”
And he revealed it is not always people who need rescuing.
“I always remember one of my first jobs as a helm was rescuing a dog,” he recalled. “Basically, it got swept out to sea.
“The most important thing about this to remember is that every dog lover is the same - if a dog gets into difficulty, the owner will always try and rescue a dog.”
Professionally, Doug is a commercial fisherman and pilot boat coxswain and his local knowledge and experience in the Moray Firth have been described as “extraordinary” and invaluable on various rescues.
On occasions, however, he has needed to call on the help of Kessock and Invergordon RNLI which he wryly acknowledged was a bit embarrassing.
He was also philosophical about rescues being launched due to people making the wrong decisions.
“In life, we all make wrong decisions,” he said.
“I have made wrong decisions. I have been rescued a few times.
“I am a commercial fisherman. I broke down. People came to pick me up.”
He added: “We will always try and help someone even if they have made the simplest mistake.”
Reflecting on what motivates him to continue giving service, Doug said it was the sense of comradeship and working together on the boat to save people as well as the family spirit within the RNLI.
“It is part of life for me,” he said.
“I have really enjoyed it.
“The RNLI is a family. I have lots of good friends, lots of family friends.
“It is working together as a good team.”
King’s Coronation Medals were presented to:
Dean Allan (Launch Authority); Jon Ashburner (ILB helm, Lifeboat Training Assessor); Gary Friedman (Launch Authority, tractor driver); Doug Grant (ILB helm, station mechanic, Launch Authority); Jane Hier (ILB helm, prospective Lifeboat Training Assessor); Chris Howard (Building manager, tractor driver); Julie Howarth (ILB crew, co-ordinator of crew events); Alan McDiarmid (Launch Authority, tractor driver, Chair LMG); Douglas Munro (ILB helm, tractor driver) and Jake Scott (Lifeboat Operations Manager, Launch Authority).
