Ravi returns to Scarborough to thank lifeboat crew

We invited Ravi Saini back to Scarborough lifeboat station to tell his story.

He met the volunteer crew of three, Rob Gaunt, Rudi Barman, and Adam Sheader, who assisted in his rescue that day and thanked them for all they had done to help. He told the crew how he’d heard the lifeboat’s engine approaching and thought ‘yeah, I’ve finally got a second chance to live’.

Ravi’s Father, Nathu Ram, told his story of trying to reach Ravi in deep water with strong currents, ‘The water was round my neck and I lost my control, slowly, slowly he was going too far. Once or twice we saw his face. After that we didn't see him. When I was in the water I was struggling and I was thinking that we could both lose our lives’.

‘I was petrified and I thought that this was the end of my life,’ Ravi continued. ‘I realised I was floating and I was like 'help me, help me'.

Ravi had been watching the BBC documentary Saving Lives at Sea which follows RNLI in a behind-the-scenes look at station life and rescues. This is where Ravi had learned the Float to Live technique which he used to effectively save his own life.

Lifeboat crewman Rudi Barman described Ravi as ‘an incredible young man’.

‘He resisted the urge to panic which, in those conditions, would have been a big problem. The fact that he was on his back floating to live is just amazing really. That's what saved his life.’

5 steps to know how to float

· If you fall into water, fight your instinct to thrash around.

· Lean back, extend your arms and legs.

· If you need to, gently move them around to help you float.

· Float until you can control your breathing.

· Only then, call for help or swim to safety.

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.