Portsmouth RNLI volunteers pay respects to their longest serving crew member following his death

On Wednesday, volunteers gathered for a Service of Remembrance for station helm and deputy launch authority Colin Beeston who died over the weekend.

Volunteers from Hayling Island RNLI Lifeboat Station also attended in their Atlantic 85 and D class lifeboats to support the Portsmouth crew.

Colin, who joined the RNLI in 1973 at 17 years of age, was the station’s longest serving volunteer, having served on the lifeboat as crew and helm and, for the past twenty years, as deputy launch authority (DLA), responsible for launching the lifeboat and co-ordinating rescues.

During his time at Portsmouth RNLI Colin launched to sea on the lifeboat thousands of times, helping to save hundreds of lives off the Hampshire coast*.

Current helm at Portsmouth RNLI, Rob Gargaro, said: ‘Colin led from the front and was pivotal to the service Portsmouth RNLI provides.

‘His commitment to this cause and providing service to others sits within his moral fibre in the way the word Southsea can be found throughout a stick of rock. As you can imagine the whole station is devastated by his passing.’

Portsmouth helm Gareth Davies added: ‘He was always there in moments of need for both the station and the crew. He was a valued source of information, experience and guidance to many of us over the years. He will be sadly missed by everyone at Portsmouth Lifeboat station.’

When he had to retire from serving on the lifeboat Colin continued to play a leading role in saving lives at sea in his role as DLA and understanding the importance of the latest life-saving technologies and equipment.

Colin was also instrumental in raising money for four lifeboats over the past quarter of a century, as well as being involved in the construction of the current boathouse at Langstone Harbour.

As part of the service the crew also remembered and marked the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who was the longest serving patron in the near 200-year history of the RNLI. During her as patron Her Majesty attended many official occasions, recognising the efforts of thousands of volunteers during visits to lifeboat stations.