Long-Serving Isle of Man RNLI Volunteer Retires After 51 Years

James “Mike” Keggen, the longest-serving Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) crew member on the Isle of Man, has retired following 51 years of voluntary service. Mr. Keggen, who served as a Coxswain at the Port St Mary lifeboat station for the past 22 years, participated in over 300 call-outs and was instrumental in saving 13 lives throughout his extensive career. Awarded an MBE in December, Mr. Keggen’s service also encompassed roles as crew, helm, and mechanic, having operated on both lifeboats stationed there. Reflecting on his MBE, he stated it was a “real honour to receive the recognition in my final year of service, in the same year that the charity celebrates 200 years of life-saving”. Among the numerous critical rescues Mr. Keggen was involved in, one notable incident occurred in the early hours of a July morning in 2004, when a motorboat sank off the coast of Port St Mary. Volunteers observed individuals leaping from the distressed vessel into the sea as it went down. The team successfully recovered all three crew members from the water, who were wearing lifejackets. Mike Teare, the lifeboat operations manager for Port St Mary RNLI, characterized Mr. Keggen as a “stalwart” of the station, having been a fixture “as long as most can remember”. Mr. Teare added, “His skill, knowledge, expertise and dedication will be sorely missed.” He further expressed gratitude, saying, “On behalf of the crew, past and present, thank you for your exceptional service.” Sarah Kneen, Mr. Keggen’s daughter and a former lifeboat operations manager at the station, conveyed her pride, stating her father had “given so much to the station and RNLI and to think of him dedicating over 50 years to lifesaving makes us all so proud”.