• Home
  • History
  • News
  • Business
    • Business News
    • Business Mag
  • Sport
    • Football
    • NAFC
    • Cricket
    • Durham Wildcats
    • American Football
    • Baseball
    • Rugby
    • Youth Football
  • Features
    • Blog
    • Picture Galleries
  • Community
    • A.T People
    • Services Directory
  • Video
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Aycliffe Today
Aycliffe Today
  • Home
  • History
  • News
  • Business
    • Business News
      Window of opportunity leads to award win for Ralf

      Window of opportunity leads to award win for Ralf

      Award-winners BTS are net zero heroes

      Award-winners BTS are net zero heroes

      PCP chief proud to get award recognition

      PCP chief proud to get award recognition

      Lifetime Achievement Award is ‘crowning’ moment for Brian

      Lifetime Achievement Award is ‘crowning’ moment for Brian

    • Business Mag
      Aycliffe Business: Issue 72

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 72

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 71

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 71

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 70

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 70

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 69

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 69

  • Sport
    • Football
      Aycliffe Youthy round-up

      Aycliffe Youthy round-up

      Aycliffe stay third with 4-0 away win

      Aycliffe stay third with 4-0 away win

      Aycliffe go top with four wins from first four games

      Aycliffe go top with four wins from first four games

      Unbeaten start for Sports Club

      Unbeaten start for Sports Club

    • NAFC
      Aycliffe narrowly miss out on play-off place – but achieve record league finish

      Aycliffe narrowly miss out on play-off place – but achieve record league finish

      Aycliffe’s play-off push on track – last home game Easter Monday!

      Aycliffe’s play-off push on track – last home game Easter Monday!

      Aycliffe boost play-off hopes with win in Leeds

      Aycliffe boost play-off hopes with win in Leeds

      Aycliffe’s play-off hopes boosted by back-to-back wins

      Aycliffe’s play-off hopes boosted by back-to-back wins

    • Cricket
      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

    • Durham Wildcats
      WILDCATS FIGHTBACK TO SECURE CUP WIN

      WILDCATS FIGHTBACK TO SECURE CUP WIN

      WOLVES EDGE IT AGAINST WILDCATS

      WOLVES EDGE IT AGAINST WILDCATS

      DURHAM WILDCATS 73, GLASGOW ROCKS 99

      DURHAM WILDCATS 73, GLASGOW ROCKS 99

      WILDCATS SLAY LIONS AGAIN

      WILDCATS SLAY LIONS AGAIN

    • American Football
      WARRIORS BEAT AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL

      WARRIORS BEAT AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL

      WARRIORS START SEASON IN STYLE!

      WARRIORS START SEASON IN STYLE!

      WOODHAM WARRIORS VICTORIOUS

      WOODHAM WARRIORS VICTORIOUS

      WARRIORS COACH TO TRAIN GB SQUAD

      WARRIORS COACH TO TRAIN GB SQUAD

    • Baseball
      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      COUNCILLORS 'PITCH' FOR LOCAL SPORTS CLUB!

      COUNCILLORS 'PITCH' FOR LOCAL SPORTS CLUB!

      SPARTANS UP FOR TOP AWARD

      SPARTANS UP FOR TOP AWARD

      NEWTON AYCLIFFE SPARTANS AT WOODHAM

      NEWTON AYCLIFFE SPARTANS AT WOODHAM

    • Rugby
      Aycliffe fall to heavy defeat against league leaders

      Aycliffe fall to heavy defeat against league leaders

      Aycliffe notch up another loss in local derby

      Aycliffe notch up another loss in local derby

      Rugby: Aycliffe in bottom two after Whitley Bay defeat

      Rugby: Aycliffe in bottom two after Whitley Bay defeat

      Aycliffe return to winning ways with hard-fought victory over Bishop

      Aycliffe return to winning ways with hard-fought victory over Bishop

    • Youth Football
      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Newton Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Newton Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

  • Features
    • Blog
      Covid-19 crisis update from your MP

      Covid-19 crisis update from your MP

      ‘Now we must move forward’ says MP

      ‘Now we must move forward’ says MP

      Business Advice: Cash Flow

      Business Advice: Cash Flow

      The Aycliffe Blue Blog

      The Aycliffe Blue Blog

    • Picture Galleries
      Picture Gallery: Duke of Kent visits Ebac

      Picture Gallery: Duke of Kent visits Ebac

      PICTURES: Hitachi Opening Ceremony

      PICTURES: Hitachi Opening Ceremony

      PICTURES: ROF 59 in progress

      PICTURES: ROF 59 in progress

      PICTURES: Ayclife dancers in national finals

      PICTURES: Ayclife dancers in national finals

  • Community
    • A.T People
      Spring 2015

      Spring 2015

      December 2014

      December 2014

      Aug - Sept 2014

      Aug - Sept 2014

    • Services Directory
  • Video
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
‘Saving lives at sea’ talk by Durham fireball survivor
Home
News

‘Saving lives at sea’ talk by Durham fireball survivor

January 20th, 2017 Martin Walker News 0 comments 2252

top banner

By Ron Eyley

The dramatic story of a County Durham man who survived a horrendous gas explosion at sea which, one dark winter’s night, blew him off his ship and into the water 50 feet below was told to Newton Aycliffe Rotarians this week.

David Hastings, who now lives in Fencehouses, was a deck officer on a huge tanker when leaking explosive gas turned into a fireball and blasted him “like a projectile from a gun barrel” over the rails of the ship.

By the time a lifeboat reached him, David had drifted a half-mile away because of the strong current. He was then rushed to hospital where the doctor on duty turned out to be a leading specialist in the treatment of burns. “I was very lucky”, he says.

That wasn’t the only time David had to be rescued at sea. On another occasion, off the coast of Friesland, he was helping to deliver a boat to Germany when its engine failed. The boat was in real danger of drifting on to rocks when a Dutch lifeboat arrived and towed the boat and its crew to safety.

“Both times I was very grateful for the availability of good equipment, well-trained crews and people willing to risk their lives to help me,” he told the Rotarians.

Today, David is honorary secretary of Durham branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution which celebrated its 21st birthday in 2015 and was honoured for the outstanding work of its supporters.

Since the Institution was founded in 1824, it has saved over 141,500 lives – equivalent to the population of a city the size of York.

Its lifeboats cover some 19,000 miles of coastline around the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland from 230 coastal stations and rescue the equivalent of one person every hour of every day throughout the year. But despite their efforts, 170 people died in water-related incidents around the UK coast last year.

“Our lifesavers”, says David, “are ordinary people who do extraordinary things”.

Virtually all of them – that’s 4,800 crew members, another 3000 shore crew and station management personnel, and 20,000 community fundraisers – are volunteers. “Without them, we simply could not save lives at sea, says David.

Life-saving services cost £168million every year (over £5 per second of every day) and all of the money is raised through voluntary donations and legacies.

The Institution gets no government aid for its work in providing lifeboats, lifeguards, inland flood rescue, safety advice and education.

Urgent help, says David, is still needed locally. “We are very grateful for financial gifts of any kind, but what we really want is people’s time,” he told Rotarians. “If anyone can spare a couple of hours once or twice a year, we should love to hear from them”

RNLI volunteers will be collecting in Tesco at Newton Aycliffe on Sunday, February 12, and would be happy to talk about volunteering with the RNLI locally or how to make a donation.

David can be contacted on 0191 385 7291 or 0795 103 4404.

 

top banner

Share it!

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
Next article Free advice to employers amid looming changes to apprenticeship funding
Previous article Tekmar to work on fifth offshore windfarm project in Belgium

Related News

PCC driving national efforts to increase awareness about alcohol harm News
May 23rd, 2025

PCC driving national efforts to increase awareness about alcohol harm

Durham County Council appoints new leader News
May 21st, 2025

Durham County Council appoints new leader

Farage tells council diversity and climate staff to 'find alternative careers' after County Durham majority News
May 2nd, 2025

Farage tells council diversity and climate staff to 'find alternative careers' after County Durham majority

LATEST VIDEO

This week on A.T

May 23rd 3:51 PM
News

PCC driving national efforts to increase awareness about alcohol harm

May 23rd 10:33 AM
Business

Window of opportunity leads to award win for Ralf

May 21st 6:46 PM
Sport

Aycliffe Juniors round-up

May 21st 1:52 PM
Business

Award-winners BTS are net zero heroes

May 21st 11:37 AM
News

Durham County Council appoints new leader

May 20th 8:03 PM
Business

PCP chief proud to get award recognition

May 20th 5:01 PM
Sport

Aycliffe Cricket round-up

May 15th 11:39 AM
Business

Lifetime Achievement Award is ‘crowning’ moment for Brian

May 12th 11:50 AM
Business

Husqvarna UK a cut above the rest with Company of the Year award

May 12th 8:42 AM
Business

300 guests celebrate Aycliffe Make Your Mark Awards

Recommend
Follow @AycliffeToday
  • Home
  • History
  • News
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Features
  • Community
  • Video
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Back to top
© Aycliffe Today 2019. All rights reserved.
Developed by Thrive

Get our latest news direct to your inbox every Friday - subscribe to our free e-newsletter today.

Subscribe Now