Dungeness lifeboat Crew Member Garry Clark is to receive the RNLI's Silver Medal for his bravery and determination during the rescue of seven people from the yacht Liquid Vortex on 3 January this year.

In a long and gruelling service in winds that reached violent storm force 11, Garry boarded the yacht, set up several tows, took care of casualties and worked with the skipper to eventually guide Liquid Vortex into harbour under tow.

Alongside him at our Annual Presentation of Awards ceremony in May will be Exmouth Crew Member Roger Jackson, who will receive a Bronze Medal for his part in rescuing four people from a capsized powerboat on 23 October 2011. The accolade recognises Roger’s 'command and leadership, boathandling skills and tenacity in exceptional conditions'.

A Bronze Medal will also be awarded to St Abbs Helm Darren Crowe for saving the life of a man trapped in a flooding cave, as featured in the Autumn 2011 issue of the Lifeboat. We will cover the other medal services in detail in future issues. Meanwhile, see opposite for details of how to get your ticket for the ceremony.

Hot on the heels of these exceptional awards are several Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum for others involved in the Medal rescues plus: Redcar Helm Mike Picknett, Cullercoats Helm Robert Oliver, Whitby Lifeguard Supervisor Shaun Messruther, Workington Coxswain John Stobbart, Divisional Maintenance Manager Andy Rodgers, Penarth Helm Jason Dunlop and Penarth Crew Member Aran Pitter.

The services celebrated in this special way are the tip of the iceberg for the RNLI. Figures for 2011 have now been verified and a selection are shown here. For more detail, see our Operational Statistics Report 2011 online or study our Launches listings on page 42 – much loved by many readers (see page 40)!

RNLI Operations Director Michael Vlasto commented on the statistics: ‘Our lifeboat volunteers and lifeguards have once again demonstrated their dedication to saving lives at sea. But they wouldn’t be able to save lives without the incredible generosity of the public.

'I would like to say a huge thank you to all those who support the RNLI, by volunteering their time or by making a donation. Our charity receives less than 2% of its income from Government sources, so we absolutely depend on the support of the public.’