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.”