Tony appointed new mechanic-coxswain at Lytham St Annes RNLI

He succeeds Martin Jaggs, who retired from the role earlier this year.

Tony is a former Merchant Navy engineering officer currently a crew member on the all-weather lifeboat Barbara Anne and a Shannon Launch Recovery System driver. He will become only the sixth person in the 90 years since the arrival of the first motor lifeboat to hold the full-time position.

Known as ‘Coxy’ by the crew, Tony has much experience in marine engineering as well as engineering in general and will also shortly become a coxswain allowing him to command the lifeboat.

He joined the Merchant Navy from school, served his engineering apprenticeship and qualified to Second Engineering Officer, serving in the Falklands War. He also spent time in the Gulf during the original Iran/Iraq war. He later set up his own HGV transport business and earned a degree in mechanical engineering to qualify as a chartered engineer.

Tony said: “Although I have only been directly involved with the lifeboats for a three years, I have been an enthusiast and supporter since childhood and always wanted to help save lives at sea.”

The station’s Lifeboat Operations Manager Pete Whalley said: “We had a strong field of candidates. Martin will be a hard act to follow but I’m sure Tony will do his utmost to follow on the tradition.”

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