Quietly spoken, Dave Peel far from dominates a room. But his natural modesty belies a life of daring action and passionate commitment

Dave started saving lives 40 years ago – as a Navy diver on aircraft carriers. Jumping from a helicopter, in full diving gear, he was trained to follow a ditched aircraft underwater until either a successful rescue was made or he ran out of air. It was perilous work.

Dave had made the unusual transition to aircrew, working in service and civilian roles and even training colleagues in survival techniques in the infamous ‘dunker’. For the 23 years before his retirement in 2012, he was part of the Coastguard helicopter team at Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire.

When he started, helicopter rescue was in its infancy compared with rescue by lifeboat. As the crews witnessed each others’ capabilities, they began to understand how to work together. Dave considers: ‘The Donald Searle incident in the early 90s was a prime example.

‘We saw some incredible boathandling when Hayling lifeboat crew recovered 10 people from a stricken yacht in horrendous seas. The only reason I was able to get the remaining 7 was their skilful handling of the hi-line.’

In fact Dave trusted his life to another pair of hands every time he stepped out of the helicopter door. ‘I’d been given the tools for the job,’ explains Dave, ‘both the training and the team.’ And that team became as family, giving much-needed support in 1997 when Dave’s wife, Margaret, suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and became severely disabled.

‘They were magic, giving us the time and help we needed. I never imagined I would return to work, but I did thanks to them.’ In 2011, Dave and his colleague Simon O’Mahony received The Billy Deacon Search and Rescue Memorial Trophy*. 'I couldn’t have been more proud ... what a way to wind up my career!’

It was the service to the yacht Blu Argent that prompted the award. ‘A huge wave swamped the yacht, putting the hull under the water while the sails and rigging flailed above, making our approach very awkward. I came close to cutting the wire.

'Yarmouth RNLI managed to snatch one of the survivors before being forced away. We ran in again to recover another, the lifeboat crew nipped in for the third and we got the fourth. I had nothing but admiration for the skill of the RNLI crew. But no training could have fully prepared us for that. You have to want to be there – you must be sure … '

Nowadays Dave is sure of one thing. He may have retired from the world of SAR helicopters but, as he and Margaret look from their flat across the adjacent runway, life is still for living.