Neil, whose face was visible in the video, told BBC Verify that the RNLI vessel was in the area to illuminate the beach “purely for the safety of the protesters” who had entered the sea. “I am not a traitor,” he added.
Replies to the most widely shared posts featured wide-ranging abuse, including suggestions they should be refused service at pubs and to track down their families.
At least one post has since been removed for violating X’s rules. The platform has been approached for comment.
Neil has been an RNLI volunteer for over a decade and said that despite the abuse he was undeterred and would continue to head out to rescue people when needed.
“I’ll be back on the boat when the pager goes off,” he said, adding: “It’d just be nice for those people who call me a traitor to know that I’m not a traitor. I’m just a volunteer crew.”
BBC Verify is not sharing the full names of anyone mentioned in the posts, or the RNLI crews they volunteer with, to protect their identities.
