Cullercoats RNLI crew member, Anna Heslop, at just 25 years old has become the first female helm at the station in its 170th year history.
This makes her only the third female helm in the region which spans from Berwick to Redcar.
Anna joined the crew when she was 17, after witnessing a person in trouble in the water at Whitley Bay, where she called the ‘sea police’ to come and carry out a rescue.
After seeing the crew’s devoted work first-hand, she soon went down to the station to find out more about what the RNLI do.
And there was no turning back for Anna. Wanting to help make a difference she joined the crew and since selflessly dedicates eight years of her spare time to saving lives at sea.
Anna said: ‘I am absolutely thrilled to have been passed out as helm and I am so grateful for the support I have received from the crew, my friends and family.
“I’m very proud to be the first female helm at our station as I hope it encourages more women to join the crew.”
Anna has been volunteering as a crew member and assessor at Cullercoats RNLI.
But her work doesn’t stop there, she also is the face-to-face fundraising manager for the RNLI in the North East.
During her time with the team, Anna has trained, being passed as competent crew, tractor driver and most recently as helm.
Now she will command the search and rescue vessel on call outs and continue her work training and assessing crew.
And her Cullercoats RNLI crew are so proud of what she has accomplished and making a historic moment in their station.
Cullercoats RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Frank Taylor said: “It is a tremendous achievement for Anna to pass her Helm training plan and to do so, as she has, with flying colours.
“We are so proud of her success and that she has become the first female helm at Cullercoats.”
