South West RNLI volunteers to feature in new series of popular TV documentary
The volunteer lifeboat crew of three south Devon RNLI lifeboat stations will be on TV screens next week as they feature in the first two episodes of the BBC TV series Saving Lives at Sea, which showcases the lifesaving work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
The 10-part documentary series is being shown on BBC Two on Tuesdays at 8pm, and features real rescues carried out by the charity’s lifeboat crews and lifeguards around the UK and Ireland.
The series gives a unique insight into the lives and work of the charity’s volunteer lifeboat crew members and lifeguards, who rescue thousands of people and save hundreds of lives around our coastline and on the River Thames every year.
The first episode on Tuesday 21 August, sees Salcombe RNLI in action for two rescues – a fisherman who’d sustained serious injuries at sea, and another fisherman who’d suffered smoke inhalation after a fire onboard.
In episode two aired on Thursday 23 August, Dart RNLI volunteers assist an elderly man who’d fallen in the river whilst boarding his yacht, and Torbay RNLI are called to a stranded boat with a family on board, and a kayaker in distress.
A total of 31 lifeboat stations from across the UK will feature in series 3, including Appledore, Padstow, St Agnes, Weston-super-Mare and Portishead RNLI.
Following the huge success of the two previous series, the most recent of which was broadcast last year, this series features more real-life rescue footage, accompanied by heart-warming and emotive testimonials from the volunteer crews, lifeguards and the people they rescue and their families.
Filming took place over the past year, with lifeboat crews and lifeguards carrying special cameras and welcoming film-makers into their day-to-day life. Rescues from the RNLI’s archives are also revisited, and we get a glimpse into the everyday lives of the thousands of men and women who give up their time to save lives.
Last year alone, RNLI lifeboat crews around the UK and Ireland launched over 8,400 times, assisting over 8,000 people, while the charity’s lifeguards responded to 17,414 incidents and saved the lives of 127 people on some of the UK’s busiest beaches.
Saving Lives at Sea will be broadcast on BBC Two and will continue throughout August, September and October.
Notes to Editors
The series is made for the BBC by Blast! Films.
Media contacts
For more information please contact Emma Haines, RNLI Regional Media Officer, on [email protected] or 07786 668847. Alternatively, call the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 or email [email protected].
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.