NORTHUMBERLAND, UK (12 July 2008) — The widow and brother of a man who died scuba diving have dedicated a new lifeboat in his memory. The new £30,000 vessel was named after Peter Downes, who was killed in a scuba diving accident in the English Channel in 2002. Widow Carolyn McLaughlin, who has since remarried, and brother Michael raised the money for the lifeboat, which is based at Seahouses RNLI station in Northumberland. The fund-raising efforts also paid for a second lifeboat, which is based at Pwllheli, Wales. "I believe the highly successful fundraising has been partly because of the love and respect so many people had for Peter, but also because the RNLI as a charity is funded purely by donations and legacies," Mrs. McLaughlin said. Seahouses RNLI lifeboat operations manager Ian Clayton told reporters the Peter Downes lifeboat had already assisted in the search for a missing scuba diver. "It is faster and more capable than our previous inshore lifeboat, and has already been involved in seven services, including the search for a missing diver last month," Clayton said. | 
