Home » News » Hornsea Freeport names Sue Hickson-Marsay a Holderness Hero !

Hornsea Freeport names Sue Hickson-Marsay a Holderness Hero !

The chairman of Hornsea Inshore Rescue, Sue Hickson-Marsay, has been chosen as Hornsea Freeport’s latest Holderness Hero.

Sue is well known locally for her dedicated hard work and inspiration for Hornsea’s Inshore Rescue, an independent service which saves lives along the Yorkshire coast.
She also has the distinction of being the only female pilot launch in the country.

Hornsea Freeport is sponsoring the Holderness Heroes feature, run by the Holderness Gazette newspaper, to recognise local people who go the extra mile to help others.

Sue’s friend, Polly Worsdale, who nominated her, described Sue as an “an amazing woman.”

“Her story is one of fighting adversity with determination and strength of character, and I am very proud indeed to be her friend and colleague,” said Polly.

After being called by Hornsea Freeport to tell her the news, an astonished Sue said:

“I’m so proud to be named a Holderness Hero, and I’d just like to say that without the Inshore Rescue team, the fundraisers, crew and people of Hornsea, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve all that we’ve done. My friend Polly is an inspiration herself, and I’m very proud to be a part of her life. If anyone can provide the strength and support that others need, it’s definitely Polly.”

As one of seven children brought up on a council estate in Hull, Sue left school at 16 with no formal qualifications and worked at her uncle’s local bakery. Her sporting interests led her to become a lifeguard at a nearby leisure centre where an opportunity arose to join the Coastguard. And Sue never looked back.

“She flourished when she joined the Search and Rescue Coastguard and was offered the position of Offshore Survival Instructor, which involved training workers in the oil and gas industry about sea survival techniques including lifeboat launching, first aid and ‘ditched helicopter’ escape techniques,” explained Polly. “Sue was single-minded in her ambitions to work at sea, in what was, and generally still is, very much a man’s world.”

Twelve years ago Sue applied for the position of Trainee Coxswain on the Humber Pilot launches, which take the pilots out to the ships to navigate the Humber, one of the most treacherous estuaries in the world.

“On top of this, Sue is the lynch-pin, the drive, enthusiasm and inspiration for Hornsea Inshore Rescue,” said Polly. “With Sue at the helm as Chairman, this completely voluntary, independent life-saving group has constructed its own boathouse, education and training facility next to the slipway, which reduces call-out time to a minimum, and enables young people in particular to learn about safety at sea. Sue is indeed a true hero,” said Polly.