Skegness RNLI crew honour nan's last wishes

Gemma Fearing feared it would be too late to arrange for last weekend when she contacted Skegness RNLI as the allocated day for this service had gone.

However, Gemma said: “I sent them an email explaining what is happening with our family this year and why it needed to be done this weekend as my uncle has terminal cancer and he needed to be here with us to say final goodbyes to his mum with the rest of the family.

“Their senior officer was very touched by the letter and amazingly agreed to volunteer to do it.”

Gemma said the crew carried out the request ‘with such professionalism’.

More than 20 family members were present.

“It was an amazing weekend - life is truly a blessing,” she said. “There are some amazing kindhearted genuine people in this world and we just wanted to say thank you.”

RNLI ‘In Memory and Tributes Officer’ Chas Tibble made the arrangements for the family.

He said: “Ashes are normally spread from the ALB (all-weather lifeboat) whilst on exercise. Gemma sent a fairly heart rending email to Mark Holley, which he forwarded to me.

“The family are from the Burton on Trent area and were given three caravans at Chapel last weekend by a charity.

“We were so touched by their plight, that Mark kindly set up an ILB (inshore lifeboat) exercise for Sunday morning and volunteered to helm the Ashes Ceremony, whilst I did my family stuff on shore.

“Alan Gordon Griffiths helped me out, as it was a low tide launch and I had to split the party, as there were two wheelchair bound.

“It all went off very well. They were lovely people and we made it as special as we could.”