Wreath laid in honour of coastguard hero

COASTGUARD crew members laid a wreath in Bressay at the weekend honouring helicopter winchman Bill Deacon, who was lost during a rescue in the late 1990s.

Deacon tragically died at sea on 19 November 1997 during a rescue of the crew of cargo ship Green Lily off Bressay in very poor conditions.

On Saturday members of the current Sumburgh-based coastguard crew – winch operator and deputy crew chief John Thomson and winch paramedic Ben Jacobs – flew to the cairn memorial for Deacon in Bressay to lay a wreath.

The wreath-laying, which takes place every year, had been delayed due to weather conditions.

The RNLI were also involved in the Green Lily rescue, with the Lerwick Lifeboat crew paying tribute last week too.

Meanwhile an award from helicopter operator Bristow has been given out to two members of the Newquay search and rescue (SAR) crew in memory of Deacon.

Winch paramedic Carlton Real and winch operator Jason Bibby of SAR helicopter Rescue 924, based in Newquay, were given the 2024 Billy Deacon SAR Memorial Trophy.

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Bibby and Real were presented with the award by vice admiral Sir Tim Laurence at the Air League’s annual reception ceremony at the House of Commons London on 19 November, recognising outstanding performance in dangerous circumstances during a rescue in 2023.

On the evening of 22 May 2023 the Newquay team rescued a man and a woman who had been cut off by the tide and swept into a cave, where they became trapped by rough seas and breaking waves.

Read more about the rescue here.