Why proud Dave is Sea-King a quiet night

CPO Dave Rigg ready for his New Year’s Eve stint

WHILE most of us were busy enjoying Christmas fun, others were out keeping us safe over the festive season.

And it was a long way from home for former Mossley man Chief Petty Officer Dave Rigg, who now lives in Cornwall. He was providing emergency cover for the Royal Navy’s rescue operation from Scotland at Christmas — and will be doing the same thing tomorrow too.

Dave works at HMS Gannet, the Royal Navy’s search and rescue unit based at Prestwick in Ayrshire, which is the UK’s busiest helicopter search and rescue unit.

For anyone having any kind of yuletide mishap, their duty crew could be Christmas knights in shining armour — or a grey and red Sea King helicopter, to be precise.

Dave was one of the four-man search and rescue aircrew ready to spring into action on Christmas day, responding to any emergency call outs from the Lake District to Ben Nevis, Edinburgh to Northern Ireland, and dozens of islands to the west of Scotland.

And, as if that was not enough, while we all prepare for some serious partying tonight and nurse a heavy head tomorrow, Dave will be back on duty.

“We sincerely hope we won’t be required,” said 40-year-old Dave. “But if the worst, whatever that may be, should happen, then we are here to help.”

Knowing that he was going to be on duty throughout much of the festive period, Dave and his wife Andrea had an early Christmas celebration.

“When I’m not at work in Scotland, I return home to Cornwall,” he added. “Andrea’s in the late stages of paramedic training and she was also on duty with the ambulance service over Christmas and the New Year so it’s quite a busy time for both of us.

“With all this in mind, we both celebrated an early Christmas on December 12 which was nice — we’re a bit like ships that pass in the night at the moment.”

All the aircrew at HMS Gannet are full-time Royal Navy or Royal Marines personnel who bring years of cool-headed bravery, experience and skill to their search-and-rescue duties.

Dave joined the Royal Navy in 1991 and entered the Fleet Air Arm in 1996. During his time in the Senior Service he has served during conflict in Bosnia, the Gulf and Kosovo, and was awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal in 2009. As well as being HMS Gannet’s chief aircrewman, Dave is a fully qualified paramedic and paramedic instructor.

A newcomer to the Ayrshire-based unit, Dave has been part of HMS Gannet since October.

“We never know what we’re going to encounter when we report for duty,” he said. “Even what appears to be the simplest of jobs can turn out to be particularly challenging — and, in this part of the world, that’s usually due to weather conditions and some fairly difficult terrain.

“There’s no room for prima donnas or mavericks! We work as a team and every person on the aircraft has invaluable experience and knowledge which helps us deliver the best results.

“It’s all about pulling together, remaining cool under pressure, staying safe and, most importantly, getting the job done well.”