Teignmouth Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) has congratulated volunteer Lee Smith after he successfully completed his tractor driver and head launcher assessment just a month after passing out as shore crew.

Lee has now progressed within his role as shore crew to become one of the station’s volunteer tractor drivers and head launchers.

Lifeboat operations manager Andy Lilburn praised Lee for his ‘dedication’ and said his progress ‘demonstrates Lee’s hard work and motivation to help save lives at sea’.

Lee thanked everyone at Teignmouth Lifeboat Station for making him ‘feel welcome’ and for supporting him as he progressed through the training and assessments. He said he is ‘enjoying being part of an amazing team, and that it’s rewarding to be able to give back to the community’.