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A Shannon class all-weather lifeboat crashes through waves under clouded skies

A gift in your Will is our protection at sea

6 in 10 lifeboat launches are only possible thanks to gifts in Wills. Leave a lifesaving gift and help save lives at sea.
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We are the RNLI

The charity that saves lives at sea

An RNLI crew member aboard a lifeboat looks back at the sea behind him

Keep crews ready for anything

Give volunteers the all-weather lifeboats they deserve as they launch to the rescue this spring
A female lifeboat crew member wearing a lifejacket and yellow all-weather lifeboat kit puts on her helmet

Bring crews safely home

Help save lives and bring volunteers home safely this winter
A B class lifeboat and Shannon class lifeboat cruise along the River Mersey under cloudy skies

You’re the coastguard. Which lifeboat do you launch?

When a call for help comes in, the coastguard need to act quickly. Which lifeboat would you send to the rescue?
Black and white heritage portrait image of Ballycotton RNLI Coxswain Patrick Sliney wearing oilskins and a hat

Explore the RNLI's lifesaving history

For over 200 years, the RNLI has been saving lives at sea. Find out more about our lifesaving history.
An Atlantic 85 B class lifeboat cruises across the water

join a force for good

Become a member of the RNLI and you'll be joining a lifesaving family, working together to save every one we can.
Launch a Memory Lifeboat illustration

Launch a Memory

Add your loved one's name to Exmouth's Shannon class lifeboat and their memory will help save lives at sea
A side view of a fully clothed man floating on his back in the water

Float to live

If you get into difficulty in the water - float to live. Watch the video and learn a skill that could save your life.

Rescue stories your support made possible

Tenby's all-weather lifeboat launches from the slipway into the surf on the way to a rescue
'I thought she was gone'
When their daughter was blown out to sea on her paddleboard, two parents can only watch and hope Tenby RNLI get there in time.
Watch the video
Night-time photo of a crew member onboard an inshore lifeboat holding a searchlight. They illuminate four crew members stretchering off a casualty into the water from the bottom of a rocky cliff
A fall at dusk
The light of a warm Sunday in May was fading when the frantic knocking came on the farmhouse door. A man had just witnessed his climbing partner fall more than 40 feet onto boulders under a sea cliff. Could anyone reach her and get her the medical help she urgently needed?
Read the rescue story
A still from a crew member’s head cam footage, showing the bow of an inshore lifeboat powering through a calm, grey sea
‘I didn’t even realise I was cold’
It is a mid-summer evening in Lyme Regis. James and his wife Elise have taken a dip in the sea when James suddenly starts feeling unwell. There’s no vehicle access to the beach and there are no lifeguards, so the couple are completely on their own. Luckily, they have enough battery and a phone signal to be able to call 999 and ask for help.
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Wells D class lifeboat with three crew onboard cruise across the sea - Inset into the picture is a portrait photo of a dog Olive who was rescued by the RNLI
'I saved a dog's life by giving it CPR'
When Wells lifeboat crew launched to a family cut off by the tide, they found a dog in desperate need of help. Crew Member Simon retells the dramatic story.
Read the rescue story

In an emergency at the coast, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.

Cullercoats Lifeboat Helm Anna Heslop on the 200 Voices podcast

Listen to the 200 Voices podcast

Stories of courage, triumph and tragedy from survivors, supporters, and the lifesavers of the RNLI

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Latest lifeboat launches

Latest launches
Severn class lifeboat breaking through waves

True stories of courage

Visit our online magazine to read some of the most thrilling, dramatic and inspiring rescue stories carried out by RNLI lifesavers
Read now