Local volunteer Steve “Rocky” Woolford retires from RNLI after nearly two decades of lifesaving at sea.
After 17 years serving his community and the seas off the Dorset coast, Steve Woolford — better known locally as “Rocky” — has retired from volunteering with Weymouth’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
Rocky, a Portland native, was drawn to the water from a young age — a passion that naturally led him to join the Weymouth Lifeboat crew in 2008. Over nearly two decades, he became a familiar and respected figure at the station, responding to emergency calls around the clock.
“It feels odd not knowing where the boat is heading anymore,” Rocky said of life without his pager — a device that kept him on immediate call for rescues day and night. “I’m also a little nervous about receiving my service award — I never did it for a medal!”
Rocky’s first rescue was a dramatic winter mission to save a man clinging to an upturned dinghy off Chesil Cove — a moment he still recalls vividly. Over the years, he witnessed the station grow and change, noting how modern crews now come from a wider range of backgrounds than in the past.
Balancing his dedication to lifeboat duties with running a yacht chandlery in Weymouth, Rocky credits his flexible work life for allowing him to answer the call whenever required. He and his wife raised their three children while he juggled business and sea rescues.
Local residents have been quick to applaud Rocky’s years of service, praising his calm under pressure and commitment to lifesaving. His retirement marks the end of a significant chapter for the Weymouth station, but his legacy remains in the lives he helped save and the volunteers he inspired.
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