New helm Cammy ready for 5th Christmas on call with Arbroath RNLI

Arbroath lifesaver Cammy Tough is ready for his fifth Christmas on call with the RNLI – and a new string to his bow.

Earlier this month, Cammy qualified as a helm on the station’s D-class inshore lifeboat.

It is the latest step in his five-year service at the town station.

And it means firefighter Cammy could find himself in charge of RNLB Robert Fergusson if the pager sounds between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

The D-class is one of two boats stationed at Arbroath.

Conditions its crews can face were recently revealed in dramatic footage of a training exercise during Storm Bert.

It was taken from the helm of the town’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat at the peak of the late November storm.

12-month training programme for helm role

Over the last 12 months, Cammy has gone through intensive training focused on command skills and finessing the boat handling skills required to be a qualified helm.

He has been put through a variety of scenarios to prepare him for the final pass out.

The volunteer role is to take charge of the boat, crew and make sound decisions when the pressure is on.

Since joining Arbroath RNLI in 2019, Cammy has taken part in 64 call-outs and spent over 250 hours at sea.

Cammy said: “It has been a privilege to serve the Arbroath community as both shore and boat crew for the last five years.

“I’m excited to continue this in my new position as D-class helm.

“I’d like to say a massive thank you to all the volunteer crew at Arbroath RNLI lifeboat station, the RNLI trainer assessors, flanking stations and everyone in between.

“I couldn’t have got here without you all.”

He added: “I originally joined the RNLI in 2019 as I love helping people, especially in their time of need.

“This is why I also trained as a personal trainer before joining the fire service.

“I wanted to give back to the community and for me, the RNLI fitted the goal of helping people.

“It’s the best decision I have ever made.”

The charity has launched its annual Christmas fundraising appeal at the end of what has been a milestone 200th anniversary year.

On average, RNLI lifeboats launch more than 100 times during the Christmas period every year.

To donate to the appeal, visit RNLI.org/WinterAppeal

Cammy adds: “This will be my fifth year on call over Christmas, but my first as a qualified helm.

“Whenever the call for help comes in, we will drop everything to answer.”