Dee the Little Lifeboat to launch again to raise funds for Portrush RNLI

In 2021, Portrush’s very own ‘Doc Martin’ published a children’s book called Dee the Little Lifeboat to raise funds for the RNLI.

Dr Martin O’Kane, who is a GP partner in Ballycastle and is also the Lifeboat Medical Advisor (LMA) for the Portrush RNLI crews, came up with the idea of creating Dee the Little Lifeboat, named after the smaller RNLI boat which carries two or three crew members and is called a D-boat.

When he saw some of the artistic work of Portrush woman Alice Rohdich that Martin was inspired to press ahead with the project.

The collaboration between Martin and Alice, whose family has a strong RNLI connection too, resulted in the finished product which launched in 2021 and raised a staggering £17,500 for the RNLI in Portrush.

Now, Dee is launching again, with her friend Sam the Seagull and some new chums, in ‘Dee Cleans the Sea’.

Martin said: “We are really excited to introduce Dee 2 in ‘Dee Cleans the Sea’.

"On this adventure, Dee continues to save lives at sea but also introduces us to the importance of the environment and also an awareness of the diversity that lies within our community."

The new book will be launched in Portrush Yacht Club on Saturday, October 26, at 2pm when both Martin and Alice will be available to sign copies. Dee Cleans the Sea will be on sale priced at £12.95 and, for the launch day only, both Dee books will be on sale for £20.