The chair of Brighton RNLI and the longest-serving volunteer at the lifeboat station is retiring after 46 years of service.
Malcolm Harvey joined the first ever crew at Brighton Marina lifeboat station just after it was built in 1978.
For two years before this, he trained with Newhaven RNLI to ensure that he was ready to be a crew member as soon as the station was completed.
Mr Harvey was the crew mechanic and served as a helm for 14 years until 1990 when he turned 50 and had to step down.
He said: “Things were pretty different then. While the lifeboat station building was being completed, we kept our kits first in a horsebox then in a two-wheel caravan which had been donated. We never could get the smell of horses out of our kit!
“There were five suits between us and we ranged from 5ft 7in to more than 6ft tall so it led to some pretty funny-looking crew members.”
During his time as a crew member, Mr Harvey received recognition from the RNLI for saving 78 lives.
He remembers one of his final shouts, saving a family of four plus a spaniel, who had become cut off by the tide in Saltdean.
The children would not leave until the dog was safe and the parents would not leave until the children were safe.
So Mr Harvey had to scramble on to the rocks to grab the family pet first – but the dog promptly jumped back into the water.
He said: “There aren’t many people out there who can say someone is alive because of a direct result of your actions.
“We have our emergency services but I think lifeboating comes up pretty high on the list of lifesavers.
“I’ll always be proud of my time with the RNLI. It has meant a great deal to me particularly the friendships and camaraderie at the station.”
Although disappointed to no longer be a crew member, in 1990 Mr Harvey was offered a new challenge at the station – the position of deputy launch authority (DLA).
He spent a further 20 years in the role, in which he was responsible for authorising the launch of the station’s lifeboat when it was called into action.
In 2010 he turned 70 and could no longer serve as the DLA but found a new calling as the station chairman until his retirement this year.
Mr Harvey was invited to Hampton Court Palace this year to receive a long service award from the RNLI for his years of volunteering.
The lifeboat operations manager at Brighton, Roger Cohen, said: “We are all so grateful for Malcolm’s years of service. We have learnt so much from his experience, tenacity and resilience.
“He really embodies the values of what the RNLI is all about, with his selfless and courageous nature. He should feel proud of all he has achieved over the years.”
