RNLI announces Photographer of the Year competition winner
Volunteer lifeboat crew member Neville Murphy from Dunmore East in the Republic of Ireland has won the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) annual Photographer of the Year competition. Neville's photo received the most votes from a shortlist of 12 images, which were showcased on the charity's Facebook page for the public to vote on.
The photo, originally entitled 'The Calm', shows lifeboat crew kit hanging up ready for action in the Dunmore East lifeboat station, where Neville volunteers as an all-weather lifeboat crew member.
The competition, which the RNLI runs each year, is open to the charity's volunteer crews and lifeguards – celebrating their lifesaving work, captured through their own photographs. This is the first time in the competition's seven-year history that voting has been open to the public.
On being told of his win, Neville said:
'I'm absolutely delighted. I'm new to photography and this was the first competition I have entered so, as you can imagine, I'm very pleased.'
Second place went to volunteer inshore lifeboat crew member Paul Collins from Abersoch. His photo depicts a rescue which took place in September, when Abersoch lifeboat was called out to a powerboat with three people on board that was rapidly taking on water. On arrival at the scene, the crew found the three casualties in the sea and just two feet of the boat's bow left protruding above the water. The crew returned the casualties safely to shore and later returned to make the boat safe, attaching a buoy to it, to mark it clearly to other vessels in the area.
Third place went to Jake Clifford, RNLI lifeguard supervisor for Weymouth and West Dorset. The photo was originally entitled 'A Helping Hand' and was taken during a major first aid incident on Weymouth beach. Jake and the other lifeguards cleared the landing site for a rescue helicopter to take the casualty to hospital.
Twelve photos were short-listed in total, submitted by RNLI volunteer crews and lifeguards from around the coasts of the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Neville will be presented with a new professional digital camera and a framed and captioned print of his winning photo. He, Paul and Jake will also receive a certificate signed by Paul Boissier, the RNLI's Chief Executive.
The RNLI encourages its volunteer crews and lifeguards to take photos when possible, to illustrate the lifesaving work they do and help build public support for the charity.
For more information on the RNLI please visit www.rnli.org.uk.
