By Hugh Boag
A man who has dedicated his life to saving lives at sea has reached his 50 years of service milestone with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
Miller Crawford, who was born and has lived on Arran all his life, joined the lifeboat crew in 1973, three years after the current Arran RNLI crew was established and he has seen it all over the years.
When he first joined, the boathouse was a lean-to shed and it was a completely different set up to today. The boat was a D-class lifeboat which was transported around the island on a trailer to launch at the most appropriate place for whatever the rescue was.
He joined because he heard the RNLI was looking for crew and he wanted to help people. He has never looked back.
He has done pretty much every role there is at the station over his 50 years, starting as boat crew, then helmsman, then senior helmsman.
In 1994, he had to step down from boat crew because of an injury but he continued to volunteer as shore crew, where he has been deputy launch authority (DLA), launch authority and lifeboat operations manager. He is still a depute launch authority.
Miller and fellow DLA Ian Hutchison have both been given extensions to continue with their operational roles, in part as a result of a current lack of DLAs.
One of his most challenging shouts was the sinking of the Antares in 1990. In November that year, the pelagic trawler Antares sank in the Firth of Clyde with all four crew members on board losing their lives.
The loss of the vessel was controversial as it emerged the Antares was sunk when its nets became tangled with a Royal Navy nuclear submarine that passed underneath.
He says he feels privileged to have been able to serve for so many years and to be a part of the development and progression of the station.
Asked how he would sell volunteering to a prospective crew member, Miller spoke about the great people he has met and worked with and that helping people and saving lives at sea is why he and all the volunteers over the years have chosen to do it to.
It is a team and every role is as important as each other. Would he do it all over again? “Yes, absolutely.”
Volunteer for the lifeboat crew
The RNLI’s lifeboat station on Arran is looking for volunteers to join the team in the role of inshore lifeboat crew.
The B-class Atlantic 85 lifeboat at Arran (Lamlash) covers the inshore waters around the coast of Arran. To ensure a co-ordinated rescue service, the station co-operates and trains with Arran Mountain Rescue Team and auxiliary Coastguards.
The lifeboat crew are all volunteers, headed up by the lifeboat operations manager and deputy launching authorities, supported by a shore crew team. All boat and shore crew follow the RNLI’s national competency-based training scheme and respond to pagers when there is a request to launch the lifeboats. The wider team includes volunteer fundraisers, shop volunteers and water safety volunteers.
An RLNI spokeswoman said: “This role will help us save lives at sea by ensuring our lifeboats are in a state of permanent readiness and crewing the lifeboat on service and exercise, under the command of the helm.”
If you live or work within 20 minutes of the Lamlash station and are aged between 18 and 65 years of age, are a team player, a good communicator, are fit and have the ability to learn new skills, visit the Arran RLNI facebook page for more information.
A proud Miller Crawford with his 50-year service medal. NO_B43lifeboat01_23_miller_crawford
The present RNLI volunteers outside the Lamlash station at an open day in July. 01_B27RNLI02_23_volunteers_outside_station