A Pembrokeshire lifeboat station has welcomed its first ever female helmsperson.
Ellen Evans, a maritime operations officer at HM Coastguard, recently completed rigorous training alongside her fellow volunteer crew member Julian Whitewright, a maritime archaeologist at the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, to qualify as an inshore lifeboat helm at RNLI St Davids.
Their qualification process culminated in a practical assessment afloat ensuring they could manage the boat and crew safely.
Ellen Evans (right) is the first female helm for St Davids RNLI (Image: RNLI/Wil Richardson)
They also completed search planning, VHF radio assessments, and a written paper covering International Rules for the Prevention of Collision at Sea (IRPCS).
Ms Evans' qualification marks a historic event for St Davids lifeboat station as she becomes the first female D-Class helm in the station's history.
Will Chant, RNLI coxswain for St Davids RNLI lifeboat, said: "Both Ellen and Julian have put a tremendous amount of time and effort into completing all the required training to fulfil the roles and be an inshore lifeboat commander.
"I'm delighted for both of them in light of the work and time they've invested and thank them for their commitment to the charity."
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