EXCLUSIVE by Sam Hawcroft
A private ceremony has been held to recognise members of the emergency services and other organisations who responded to the Withernsea sea tragedy earlier this year.
Representatives of the services involved in the events of January 2-17 gathered in the Lighthouse Gardens on Saturday, September 5, where a commemorative plaque was unveiled by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire, James Dick OBE.
The ceremony, arranged and hosted by Withernsea mayor Cllr Kristina Richardson, was specifically intended as an opportunity for the town to thank those who responded during an exceptionally difficult period that saw the deaths of Sarah Keeling, Grace Keeling and Mark Ratcliffe.
It was a private event rather than a public memorial ceremony, bringing together representatives of the Coastguard, RNLI, police, ambulance service and other organisations involved in the response.
The costs associated with the ceremony were not met from public money or Withernsea Town Council funds.
Opening the event, Cllr Richardson said the day was one of remembrance, but also one of gratitude to the people who had stood alongside the community when they were needed most.
She said: “We saw you. We saw your dedication. We saw people working shoulder to shoulder. We saw professionalism and compassion during some incredibly difficult days, and we are immensely grateful.
“But we also see what you do beyond those days. We value what you give to Withernsea throughout the year, whether it is visible or not.”
She added that those represented at the ceremony served their community 365 days a year, often with little recognition, leaving their own families when somebody else needed their help.
The Lord-Lieutenant said the tragedy had been one of the most difficult incidents the community had faced in recent years and began his address by remembering the three people who had died and all those who continued to be affected.
He said: “At times of tragedy, communities can feel vulnerable and overwhelmed. Yet it is often in those moments that we see the very best of people.”
Mr Dick said personnel and volunteers had worked in challenging and emotionally demanding circumstances with “remarkable professionalism, compassion and resilience”.
He added: “While a number of representatives are with us this morning, they stand here on behalf of many colleagues, volunteers and support teams whose contributions were equally important.
“Whether operating on the front line, coordinating behind the scenes, providing welfare and support or assisting in countless other ways, each person played a vital role.”
Among those attending was John Hickey, who was the Withernsea Coastguard station officer at the time of the tragedy and was in charge of the local Coastguard response. He has since retired from the service and is now a member of Withernsea RNLI.
John said he was proud of the way services from across the area had worked together.
He said: “It was the way that all the emergency teams came together – not just Withernsea, but Hornsea and Hull, and all the people who came and helped out.
“It’s the recognition factor. The Coastguard do a lot of work and the town doesn’t know about half the work they do, so something like that recognises what these people do and the effort and time they put in.”
Ann Bell, who succeeded John at Withernsea Coastguard, said seeing the plaque unveiled had been emotional for those who had been involved.
She said: “We really appreciate this acknowledgement from the mayor, the Lord-Lieutenant, the town council and Withernsea.
“It’s something that will never, ever leave us. We will always remember the incident and we will always remember the three lives lost.”
Ann said the scale of the response had also had an impact on the families of those involved, with local teams called out repeatedly during the following weeks.
She said there had also been a lasting effect on the community, with four new recruits joining the Coastguard team.
“I think some of that is definitely down to people wanting to do something in the light of what happened,” she said. “I think so many people felt helpless, and it has stirred that in people – ‘what can I do?’”
Withernsea RNLI operations manager Darren Hickey said the plaque also recognised the commitment that went on behind the scenes, both during January and throughout the year.
He said: “For me, it wasn’t just us or the people who are here today. It was the town itself. I’ve never seen a town respond like it.
“The people are what make this town, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve lived here all your life or if you’ve just come here. It has a habit of generating the same spirit, the same camaraderie, whether you’re in the emergency services or whether you’re not.
“That was demonstrated on that night, that weekend and afterwards.”
Darren said the support given to crews by local people had ranged from bringing food to simply offering an arm around the shoulder.
“You can’t necessarily quantify that,” he added. “Their support has been amazing.”
The plaque is one of three separate remembrance and recognition projects now being progressed in Withernsea following the events of January, each with a different purpose.
The plaque the lighthouse garden provides a permanent public acknowledgement of the lives lost, those affected, the response of the emergency and supporting services and the solidarity shown by the community.
The Friends of Withernsea Lighthouse will become custodians of the plaque.
A second initiative, also being led by Cllr Richardson, will see a new wooden Pride of Withernsea board installed in the Town Council Chamber.
Designed to complement the traditional mayoral boards already displayed there, it will not be an annual award but will instead record exceptional occasions when the whole community has come together in response to events that have had a profound impact on the town.
Its first hand-painted entry will record January 2-17, recognising both the events themselves and the response of residents, volunteers, organisations and services. The board is expected to be installed by the end of the year.
Separately, work is continuing on a memorial at St Nicholas Church following fundraising by former town mayor Cllr Alex Camplin, who raised £500 towards the project at the end of her mayoral term.
The memorial, which is being designed and project-managed by local historian Darrin Stevens, is intended to provide a quieter place for remembrance and reflection where people will be able to light a candle.
It will remember those who died, their families and loved ones, everyone affected by the tragedy and those who responded and supported the community.
Further funding has been sought, including support from local Masonic lodges, and the final design and installation date are yet to be confirmed.
Cllrs Richardson and Camplin are also preparing a joint letter to the families of those who died, those who attended and supported the Lighthouse ceremony and the services and organisations involved, explaining the different purposes of the three initiatives.
Support for the ceremony was also given by East Yorkshire violinist Steve Clarke, who provided music, Laura Lazenby, who supplied event décor, and Withernsea Lighthouse, which provided tea and coffee.
Cllr Kelvin Smith installed the plaque.