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Pwllheli: RNLI lifeboat station closes after crew fallout

RNLI/ Nathan Williams Shannon class lifeboatRNLI/ Nathan Williams
The RNLI said it recently carried a "fair" and "thorough" investigation into the situation

A north Wales lifeboat station has closed due to a "serious breakdown" in relationships between crew members.

The RNLI said it was not possible to run its service in Pwllheli, Gwynedd, because of "ongoing distrust and disharmony".

Key station personnel have also resigned, resulting in the decision to "reset operations" at the station.

The RNLI said the decision had "not been taken lightly" but was considered "necessary".

It said it was "confident that our processes have been followed fairly".

The RNLI's Wales manager, Ryan Jennings, said the branch could not operate because there had been a "serious breakdown in relationships between the operational crew members".

He added that some key personnel had resigned at the station and a decision had been made to "reset" operations there.

Mr Jennings said it took a "deep level of trust" between crew members to save lives but there was "complete disharmony".

"Until we've got a safe number of crew and a safe management structure to support that lifeboat station, we're not able to go back on to service," Mr Jennings said.

"It's just not possible to to run an operational lifeboat service with ongoing distrust and disharmony."

A statement from the RNLI said it was reluctantly ending volunteering arrangements with all operational crew.

It read: "This decision has not been taken lightly but is considered necessary to move forward with an inclusive and sustainable lifeboat station at Pwllheli for many years to come.

"We are incredibly grateful to all our volunteers at Pwllheli for their service and commitment, however we have had to deal with a very complex situation."

The charity said it was committed to creating a cohesive environment where everyone feels safe and respected and it was focused on working with volunteers who were willing to commit to rebuilding the team.

Pwllheli's lifeboat house was constructed in 1891 at a cost of £480.

A new boathouse was completed at the station in December 2020 following donations.

Rescue cover in the area is being provided by neighbouring RNLI lifeboat stations at Porthdinllaen and Barmouth, with support from the lifeboats from Abersoch and Criccieth.