Helming a lifeboat crew's record-breaking year

The RNLI crew at Cullercoats on the coast of north-east England had its busiest ever year in 2025. For their newest helm, it was a relentless record-breaker.

On 15 January last year, Carl Taylor qualified as a helm, the lifeboat's leader, for his hometown station in Cullercoats in North Tyneside.

He has been non-stop ever since.

Of Cullercoats' 69 call-outs in 2025, which was a new annual record for the station, Taylor was involved in 58, either as shore crew or going out in the lifeboat, and captained the vessel on 23 of them.

"It is a lot of responsibility but I love it," the 38-year-old says.

With a two-year-old son at home as well as running his own plastering business, Taylor has plenty to keep him busy.

"She is supportive," he says of his partner Georgia, although he adds with a laugh: "Sometimes it can bug her too."

When he is on call, he has to be within 15 minutes of the station and, as of one of only two helms, he is on call a lot.

A helm has to be on the boat for every launch, a duty he shares with Anna Heslop-Latif.

"We are like the captain of the boat," he says. "We are responsible for the safety of everyone on board and for making sure the job goes well."

He can still remember his first call-out to help police find someone in the water, which involved having to order two of his crew to jump overboard to help.

One of those who jumped was Neil Simpson.

"I didn't question it," Simpson says. "I have 100% faith in Carl.

"There's no-one who has helped me more in the past, but I think if you asked everyone, they would all say the same.

"That's testament to his impact on the station."

As the commander of the boat, the helm is the decision maker, the one who has to know what the sea and weather conditions are, quickly devise plans and ultimately make the call if crew are going to jump into the sea to carry out rescues.

"You've got to just trust the training and the crew," Taylor says. "Really it's about keeping everyone safe."

He was the helm for the rescue of two brothers who got stuck in a notorious rip current at the southern end of Longsands in May and another not long afterwards in which a teenager could not be saved.

There have been numerous towing jobs, the longest taking three hours to pull a stricken vessel into shore, as well as searches for missing people.

When his pager goes off alerting him to a call-out, his main thought is just to get to the station.

"You never know what you will be facing," Taylor says. "You have try and plan what you can in your mind.

"Then you take the job on and be as professional as you can."

The helm, who was born and raised in Cullercoats, first volunteered for the RNLI when he was 17.

"I just love boats and also wanted to help people," he says.

He carried out various duties for five years before stepping back as wider life started to intervene.

Five years ago, he attended one of the station's harbour day festivals and, by the time the last face was being painted and the raffle drawn, had signed up to volunteer again.

He then went through various courses and training before becoming a helm.

"I always had my eyes on it but I never knew if it was going to happen," Taylor says.

Away from the missions, a helm also needs to be present for training exercises for the rest of the crew, with Taylor having attended the station 156 times in 2025, not far off once every two days.

"Sometimes it does feel like I should just move in to the station," he says.

He is also working with the RNLI on the development of the next lifeboat.

Sarah Whitelaw, a Cullercoats crew member, says he is a "very well trusted and respected" helm.

"He exemplifies the RNLI's values," she says. "He's committed so much time, effort and energy, all as a volunteer."

Despite the pressure it puts upon him, Taylor has no plans to stop volunteering anytime soon.

"I do really enjoy it," he says.

"It's just nice to be out at sea on the boat."

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