A former Newtownards man has stepped up to take the helm at Portaferry lifeboat.
Scott Blackwood (29) moved to the peninsula town in 2020 to be closer to his partner Nicole and, influenced by her voluntary role with the lifeboat, he joined too.
As helm he will take charge of the inshore lifeboat at sea, with responsibility for the safety of the crew onboard and for decisions made during a rescue.
Scott said he was proud to take on the challenging role, explaining it is something he has always wanted to achieve, as someone who has spent a lot of time around boats throughout his life.
He added: “Nicole is also a RNLI volunteer and it was her who sparked my initial interest in joining. I’m really glad I did.
“We have a great crew at Portaferry lifeboat station and I’m grateful for all their support during my training.”
He also thanked Lenny Fourie, a coastal lifeboat trainer for Ireland, who carried out the assessment and pass out, and James Gillespie, lifeboat helm from Bangor, who helmed the boat during his pass out.
Lifeboat Operations Manager, Heather Kennedy said: “Scott has shown great maturity in stepping forward to train as lifeboat helm.
“He has worked incredibly hard, completed extensive training and passed rigorous assessments to qualify for this role.
“In stepping up to helm, he will continue to be a great asset to Portaferry lifeboat station.”
