Clark wins Pride of Britain award

HEWITT Clark has been named a Pride of Britain award winner for his incredible life-saving work with the RNLI. 

ITV’s This Morning announced today (Friday) that Clark, who helped save over 300 lives in 35 years with the Lerwick lifeboat, was this year’s emergency services winner.

He receives the honour in the year that RNLI celebrates its 200th anniversary.

Speaking on This Morning, Clark told ITV’s Ben Shephard he was “speechless” about the news.

During his 35 years of service as a mechanic and coxswain he was awarded both a gold, silver and three bronze medals for gallantry.

He is one of only three living recipients of the RNLI’s highest recognition for bravery, and played a pivotal part in the rescue of the Green Lily in November 1997, leading his Lerwick crew in the rescue of 15 people aboard the 3,000-ton cargo vessel.

HM Coastguard winchman Bill Deacon died during the incident.

Clark said on This Morning that “everything went wrong that could go wrong” during the rescue, but that he and his crew were determined to ensure the crew of the Green Lily were saved.

And he said he was “too busy doing what you do” at the time to be scared.

Asked by Shephard if he would be willing to swap his lifeboat gear for a tuxedo for the awards ceremony, Clark said: “I’m sure we’ll manage to do that.”

Overall Clark took part in 423 rescues, helping to save 319 lives.

He retired in 2000, but still helps the current Lerwick lifeboat station volunteers using his own boat as a casualty vessel in training exercises.

Clark will receive the accolade at the Pride of Britain awards in London, which will air on ITV on Thursday 24 October at 8pm.