Tribute To George: Cowes RNLI Bids Farewell To Long-Serving Volunteer

Left to right: George Chastney, Mark Southwell; Hatti Mellor, Regional Communications Manager for the RNLI; Jean-Marc Bonello

Cowes RNLI has paid tribute to one of its longest-serving volunteers, George Chastney, whose commitment to lifesaving and storytelling has spanned more than two decades.

George first joined Cowes’ independent lifeboat, Cowes Rescue, in 2003, after a long career as a journalist across several southern newspapers.

Fittingly, it was his reporting on a tragic hydrofoil collision in 1987 that helped spark the move to establish a lifeboat in Cowes.

When the RNLI took over operations in 2008, George stayed on as press officer, ensuring islanders – and the wider world – knew about the bravery of the crews who launched into danger.

He also threw himself into fundraising and chronicling the everyday life of the station.

His connection to rescue work was deeply personal.

As a teenager, George himself was saved by the RNLI after a cliff fall in Ilfracombe left him badly injured and stranded by the tide.

That experience, coupled with service in the RAF and a brush with danger during a balloon crash over the Island, gave him a unique understanding of the urgency faced by lifeboat crews.

Last week, George was honoured alongside crew member Jean-Marc Bonello, who is moving abroad after five years of service.

Both received commemorative gifts in a ceremony attended by fellow crew, an RNLI representative, and regional communications manager Hatti Mellor, who praised George’s “infectious enthusiasm” and decades of dedication.

George is now taking on the role of station archivist, preparing a new book charting the history of lifesaving in Cowes – a story in which he himself is a central figure.

Later this year, he will also be formally recognised with a certificate of service for over ten years of RNLI volunteering.

Reflecting on his time, George said:

“As someone who quite probably owes his life to the RNLI, it has been an enormous privilege to provide accounts to the media, many years later, of the often challenging tasks of the charity.”