Tributes have been paid to two ‘dedicated’ RNLI volunteers who have sadly died.
The funeral of Chris Lyons, 31, pictured, who volunteered in Weston-super-Mare, took place on Friday (January 19th). He died during emergency surgery on 23rd December.
RNLI Portishead also announced the death of Bruce du Preez, a 53-year-old helm, who had cancer.
A spokesperson for the RNLI said it had been an “incredibly sad time” for both stations and the wider organisation.
Mr Lyons’ coffin was transported in an RNLI boat from the lifeboat station in Weston-super-Mare to the church on Friday, where his funeral took place. A convoy of emergency service and recovery vehicles also joined the procession.
Mr Lyons, who had a 10-year-old son and was step-dad to a six-year-old girl, had strong family connections within the RNLI.
His partner, Laura Morgan, is another crew member, and his uncle, Matt Davis, works as the operations manager at Burnham-On-Sea lifeboat station.
“Chris was only 31 and an important and passionate member of RNLI Weston, giving his limitless energy to every facet of being a crew member, whether it was on the boat, ashore building our carnival float or enjoying a social night out with his lifeboat family,” his colleagues said in a statement.
The RNLI in Portishead is also mourning the loss of Bruce du Preez, who first joined the team in 2003.
Just before he passed away last autumn, Mr du Preez was awarded a medal following 20 years of voluntary service. During his time at the RNLI, he supported the adoption of the Portishead Lifeboat Trust in 2014 and helped new volunteers who joined the team.
