On Call, All Volunteers
Sumner Lifeboat crew are all volunteers. They could be called out at any time of day or night and receive no pay. As locals, they choose to make a big commitment to their community.
Currently there are about 30 volunteer crew. They cover all ranges of experience, from trainees through to skippers and veterans of many rescues, and all ages – from students to retirees.
Crew member Finley Passmore (Photo: Endeavour Media & Photographics)
Sumner Lifeboat is a family affair. Active senior crew member Heather McDonald has been in lifeboat service over 27 years, whilst her father Peter has given over forty years service to Sumner Lifeboat. Also on active crew we have father and son Dave and Finley Passmore, husband and wife Patrice and Yvonne de Beer, and their son Niels has just joined as a trainee, and senior crew member Anthony Honeybone has recently been joined by his daughter Elley as a trainee.
As part of their commitment to Sumner Lifeboat Institution and Coastguard, crew undertake regular theory and practical training – read more about what training involves.
If you’d like to join our crew, see the Volunteer page for how to apply.
It is important that we recognise the contributions our volunteer crew make. In a ceremony at the Village Inn, Paul Wisbey of Sumner Lifeboat Institution presented 2020 Service Awards to the following crew members, along with Coastguard awards presented by Cheryl Moffatt of Coastguard NZ.
| Sumner Lifeboat Service Awards 2020 | |
| Certificate (3 years): | Annabel Flavell |
| Camilla Gibbons | |
| Howard Nicholls | |
| Lynette Low | |
| Patrice de Beer | |
| Paul Mutton | |
| Paul Cowey | |
| Yvonne de Beer | |
| Silver Medal (5 years): | Finley Passmore |
| Bar (10 years): | Josh Scott (2018 missed) |
| Gold Medal (25 years): | John Atkins |
| Extraordinary Certificates | |
| Senior: | Anthony Honeybone |
| Trainee: | Howard Nicholls |
| Coastguard Service Awards | |
| Coastguard Pin (3 years): | Annabel Flavell |
| Camilla Gibbons | |
| Howard Nicholls | |
| Lynette Low | |
| Patrice de Beer | |
| Paul Mutton | |
| Paul Cowey | |
| Yvonne de Beer | |
| Red Pin (5 years): | Finley Passmore |
| Blue Pin (10 years): | Josh Scott (2018 missed) |
| Gold Pin (25 years): | John Atkins |
A special mention goes to John Atkins, who received his 25 years service gold award. Splitting his time between Sumner and Picton, John is an operational crew member with both Sumner Lifeboat and Coastguard Marlborough.
