Laura is first lady among Appledore lifeboat tractor drivers

A committed new recruit at Appledore RNLI has already qualified to become its first ever female tractor driver for launching the lifeboat.

At the beginning of April Laura Davies passed out as fully qualified to drive Appledore RNLI’s agricultural tractor.

Now she has also been passed to drive the much bigger County Tractor, used to launch and recover the inshore lifeboat, in all states of tide, weather and conditions, day of night.

Without a fully qualified tractor driver present, the lifeboat cannot be launched.

Bob Meller, Appledore RNLI lifeboat operations manager, said: “Laura only started coming down to the lifeboat station in August last year and officially signed up as trainee shore crew in October.

“Since then she has gone from strength to strength, showing total commitment to the RNLI and she has put in a massive amount of hard work, training and exercises covering all known scenarios.

“By January she had passed out as a fully qualified shore crew member, and in March, in casualty care. She is now also passed out to drive both tractors. Massive congratulations Laura and well deserved.

“A big thank you also to all the crew who help with the training, and to all those who donate to, or fundraise for, the RNLI, without whom the RNLI, a charity, would not exist.”