Home Romney Marsh News Article
Lifeboat crews pay tribute to RNLI volunteer Darragh Cartmill, from Greatstone
05:00, 16 March 2024
Lifeboat volunteers say they are struggling to come to terms with the loss of a much-loved crewmate who “touched the hearts of everyone”.
Darragh Cartmill, who was a member of the Littlestone Lifeboat Station for six years, died last Wednesday following a battle with illness.
The 54-year-old’s death has left a “gaping hole” in the close-knit team, which has described him as a “complete enigma”.
Mr Cartmill, who lived in Greatstone on the Romney Marsh, was diagnosed as being critically anaemic in November and, following a “brutal” round of chemotherapy, remained in hospital until February.
On Monday, March 4, he was rushed back to hospital, where he died two days later.
Close friend Matt Crittenden, who is the operations manager at Littlestone Lifeboat Station, says the whole crew has been left devastated by Mr Cartmill’s death.
“My last conversation with Darragh I could tell he was really poorly. But he said he was OK, and that was to just make me feel better,” he said.
“I have never seen such strength in a person, ever.
“It is such a huge loss for everyone here at the lifeboat crew. It has left us with a gaping hole.”
Mr Cartmill, who moved to Kent from Ireland more than a decade ago, also worked in a DIY shop in Greatstone and was married to wife Nicki.
He joined the lifeboat station as part of the shore crew and later moved on to the boat crew.
Mr Crittenden added: “He had a big role at the lifeboat station and he absolutely loved what he did.
“He touched the hearts of everyone he met and he was dearly loved by all. He was a complete enigma.”
Mr Cartmill’s funeral will be held at Charing Crematorium at the end of this month.
His coffin will be carried in a 1940s Bedford truck belonging to one of the station's retired helms.
“Since he died we got all the crew together and just reminisced about Darragh,” Mr Crittenden continued.
“A man walked by with his dog and told us he was gutted by the news.
“He had only met Darragh a handful of times and he said Daz would always come over and stroke his dog and say hello.
“That shows what kind of a person he was.”
Latest news
‘I spend three hours at A&E every other day because my GP can’t see me’
Rolexes and crypto: How dealer selling drugs from bedroom hid ‘massive profits’
Park pledges to reopen iconic cinema building as another blockbuster film lined up
High street’s oldest shop to finally reopen 18 months after roof collapsed
Features
Most popular
- 1
Pedestrian killed in M2 crash involving ‘number of vehicles’
3 - 2
‘This Christmas market is truly magical - but there’s just one problem’
17 - 3
Inside Kent’s newest B&M store in former Wilko
5 - 4
Lorry bursts into flames on roundabout approach
3 - 5
Delays after tank strapped to lorry hits railway bridge
6