North Yorkshire family's pride at generations of lifeboat service

A lifeboat volunteer has spoken of his pride at being the fifth generation of his family to save lives off the North Yorkshire coast.

Alex Harrison-Gaze joined the Staithes RNLI crew in 2021 with his twin sister, following in the footsteps of family members going back over 140 years.

William Brown Harrison, who lived next door to Staithes lifeboat station, was first to join the crew in the 1880s.

Mr Harrison-Gaze said he was "immensely proud" to continue the tradition.

That tradition really began when, back in the Victorian era and following the precedent set by their father William, Isaac and William Ward Harrison, joined the lifeboat crew at the nearby Runswick Bay station.

Isaac's sons, George Cole Harrison and Colin Harrison senior, then joined their father at the same station in the 1950s.

Colin senior's son, Colin Harrison junior, later signed up at the age of 16.

Mr Harrison junior said that by this stage several members of the crew "were also related to a greater or lesser degree".

Speaking about the importance of lifeboat volunteers during the festive season, Mr Harrison junior spoke of the time he was paged to help with the search for a potential missing person on Christmas Eve in 2004.

At that time, twins Alex and Katarina were only a few months old and he said he left them with a family friend, returning hours later after nothing was found.

Since then, the 19-year-old twins had become the latest generation of the family to join a lifeboat crew on that stretch of Yorkshire coast.

Mr Harrison junior said: "For five successive generations my family have answered the call to save lives at sea - be they strangers, family or friends.

"There's no feeling quite like knowing you've brought someone home safe especially at Christmas, a time for family."

Alex Harrison-Gaze, Mr Harrison junior's son, said: "I am immensely proud to continue the family tradition, along with my sister, of saving lives at sea."

His twin sister Katarina said volunteering was "a great way for me to be able to give back to my community, follow in the footsteps of my family, and help people who may find themselves in trouble at sea".

"Coming from a fishing village and growing up with family members such as my dad in the RNLI, I have always loved the sea but I also know how dangerous it can be."

The Harrison family and RNLI volunteers across the country will be on call for emergencies throughout the Christmas period.

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