By Robin Turner
The Western Mail
WALES, U.K. — NLI volunteer Phillipa “Pip” Nicholas was fast asleep at 4.30am on Friday of last week when the shrill sound of an emergency bleeper interrupted her dreams signalling she and her lifeboat crew were desperately needed.
The New Zealand-born Aberystwyth University lecturer did not bother getting dressed and drove to Ceredigion’s Borth RNLI station from her home a few miles away in Llandre in her pyjamas.
A few hours later the sporty 38-year-old organic farming expert, who loves rowing and sailing, would find herself being winched into the air by an RAF helicopter as 150 people below were rescued and 1,000 were evacuated in some of the worst flooding the West Wales countryside has ever seen.
Having moved to Aberystwyth 10 years ago, the lecturer is typical of the hundreds of RNLI volunteers in more than 25 stations across Wales who are prepared to go from everyday jobs to facing danger in the water at a moment’s notice.
After quickly changing into her RNLI kit as the flood water rose to dangerous levels she and three other volunteers raced to a caravan park at Dol-y-Bont where a river had turned into a raging torrent and where an elderly, disabled man was trapped in a caravan.
She said: “I couldn’t believe it when I got there, it was like something you see on TV. The centre of the caravan park was taken up by a roaring body of water. We got into the lifeboat to cross it and were immediately caught in the current and tossed to the other side.
“It immediately became apparent we could not cross safely back so we secured the lifeboat and fortunately were told that a coastguard team had reached the disabled man and that he was fine.
“The sound of the water was amazing and there was vast amounts of debris being hurled along at some speed.
“We told our base we’d be happy to see out the floods where we were as we had reached a safe point but it was decided to winch us to the other side of the water so we could continue with searching for anyone who might be missing.” The other RNLI crew winched into the air included: 18-year-old Gavin Loynes of Borth, who is studying for his A-levels at Penglais Comprehensive in Aberystwyth; married father-of-two Lee Trubshaw, 44, a security officer; and helmsman Pete Davies, 47, who also works at Aberystwyth University.
Wellington-born Pip Nicholas, secretary of Borth Rowing Club, said: “It was an eye opener for all of us but especially young Gavin who was on one of his first big shouts.
“Being up in the air feeling the draught from the blades and seeing the devastation caused by the floods below just a few hours after being asleep in bed kind of sums up what it’s like to be in the RNLI.
“You are on call 24 hours-a-day and anything can happen at any time.
“I decided to join up because I love rowing and sailing and realised that these guys in lifeboats are doing a tremendous job. I wanted to be part of it.”
Retired computer consultant Dave Reynolds, 54, the Borth RNLI communications officer, helped to co-ordinate the floods rescue effort.
Chairman and coach at Borth Rowing Club, Manchester born-Dave is also a keen windsurfer and in his youth was a hooker with Sale RFC’s second XV.
He said: “It was an astonishing night and our volunteers responded magnificently.”
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