TWO RNLI teams and hundreds of spectators have paid their respects to a young volunteer crew member who died in a motorbike accident.

On Sunday, 1 October, people flocked to Barmouth beach to see Barmouth RNLI’s new D class inshore lifeboat deployed, bearing the name Craig Steadman in honour of the 28-year-old Holyhead lifeboat crew member who died in August 2015 when the motorbike he was riding was involved in a collision on the A55 near Llanfairpwll.

Craig’s mother and father, Sharon and Ray, played a central part in a moving ceremony to officially name and dedicate the lifeboat in Barmouth Lifeboat Station.

In front of hundreds of invited guests including Craig’s family and friends, volunteer lifeboat crew from Holyhead and Barmouth lifeboat stations, fundraisers and RNLI and community dignitaries, Ray handed the new lifeboat to RNLI council member rear admiral Mark Kerr, who accepted it on behalf of the Institution.

Rear Admiral Kerr then presented the lifeboat to Barmouth RNLI and Sharon officially named the lifeboat in memory of her son with the customary pouring of champagne over the bow.

At the end of the ceremony the lifeboat took to the water with one of Craig’s favourite song playing – Thunderstruck by AC/DC – to cheers from the amassed crowd.

Sharon said: “Craig was a very loyal and respected RNLI crew member in Holyhead.

“He was very caring, incredibly kind and helpful to a fault.

“If anybody needed help in any way, Craig would be there. He had very large wings and sheltered many in need under them."

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