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Katie and Will were rescued by RNLI lifeguards after they followed the RNLI advice to float to live

‘I thought we were going to die’

Caught in a rip current and in danger of drowning, Will and Katie floated to live
Read their storyGet the advice

We are the RNLI

The charity that saves lives at sea

Relief Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Norma Ethel Vinall B-825 at Dart, at sea during a training exercise with D-class Dudley Jane D-838.

Mayday Appeal

RNLI volunteers are calling for help. Will you answer?
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 brave RNLI volunteers home safely
Three runners wearing running gear and yellow Mayday Mile fundraising t-shirts run around a park

Take on the Mayday Mile Challenge

Do a mile a day in May, your way. Every step can help power RNLI lifesavers to the rescue.
RNLI beach lifeguard carries a red and yellow flag on the beach

HEADING TO THE BEACH?

Choose a lifeguarded beach so you and your family can have fun and stay safe at the seaside.
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.
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.

Rescue stories your support made possible

Allan Grant (centre) and some of the lifeboat volunteers who saved his life, including (left) Andy Stoner
Rescue
Rescue
Hanging on: 2-hour river ordeal
Read more
A view across sand and out beyond a harbour wall to the open sea, showing a silhouette of the lifeboat leaving the harbour. The RNLI launching tractor and shore crew are at the water’s edge, seeing them off.
Pieces of a puzzle: A special 18:24 rescue
Richard, Charlotte and Ed are sitting on their bodyboards on the sand, wearing wetsuits and still damp from the sea. They’re all smiling and their dog, Flo, sits in the middle of them.
‘Their speed saved my life – and heart’
Tenby's all-weather lifeboat launches from the slipway into the surf on the way to a rescue
'I thought she was gone'
A long sandy beach edged with marshes and covered in frost. Rolling hills with fields and trees can be seen in the distance.
Supporter story: my experience of hypothermia
All rescue stories

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
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