40 Years Saving Lives at Sea for Redcar RNLI’s Mike Picknett

By Community Correspondent

Lifeboat Operations Manager Mike Picknett received his 40 years long service award in front of fellow volunteer crew members recently.

Mike fist started helping at the lifeboat station as an 11-year-old. He officially joined the crew in 1985, aged 17 and progressed quickly to become a Helm at the station in 1987.

He was appointed Senior Helm at Redcar RNLI in1992, a post he held until he stepped back from his seagoing role to become Lifeboat Operations Manager in 2019.

During Mike’s operational time, he spent more than 10 years as a member of the RNLI’s national and international Flood Rescue teams. Mike was deployed to several major flooding events including the devastating flooding in Cockermouth in 2009 where RNLI teams worked continuously for 48 hours, helping to rescue people from their homes and businesses.

In 2013 Mike was awarded a BEM in Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year's Honours for services to maritime safety.

Dave Cocks, Chairman of Redcar RNLI, said:

'Mike has given 40 years dedication to Redcar RNLI. His contribution to saving lives at sea is a perfect example of what the RNLI is all about.

'The RNLI can only achieve its mission to save people from harm in the waters round our coast by having volunteers like Mike, who give countless hours of their time, day and night, to make sure the lifeboats launch when they are called for.'

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