Celebrating 25 years of RNLI lifeguards: Meet Senior Lifeguard, Ben

Ben is a Senior Lifeguard on Brighton beach and has been lifeguarding for 7 seasons. He started when he was 17 and found his interest in lifesaving when his mum got him involved in Brighton & Hove’s Surf Lifesaving Club when he was 12 years old.

Ben said: ‘That club was brilliant. It teaches you all the skills to become a beach lifeguard from a very young age, so it becomes very ingrained in your head. I made good mates there and through it I got my beach lifeguarding qualification.’

Ben joined the RNLI in 2025, he said: ‘It felt overwhelming at the time because it was such a big step from the lifesaving club, but everyone was so welcoming. The lifeguards I work with are so good, they helped teach me what to do and how to act in certain situations.’

All RNLI lifeguards must undergo strict fitness testing including a 200m beach run in under 40 seconds and a 400m pool swim in under 7 ½ minutes. Their training allows them to do what they do best, to offer preventative advice and deliver an excellent lifesaving service.

Ben said: ‘There’s a lot of training involved. I remember I used to reenact scenarios with my brother, who is also a lifeguard on Brighton beach, pretending he was a casualty and then I’d treat him.’

Having completed 7 seasons at Brighton, Ben talks about what keeps him coming back. He said: ‘Personally, it's a mix of things. The job itself is just brilliant, you get to be by the water, and you get to help people. On busy days, people are out enjoying the sun, having a bit of time away from work and you’re giving them extra comfort because a lot of people can come to lifeguarded beaches and feel even more relaxed knowing that we’re here to help them.

‘Even with little things like helping elderly people in and out of the water, it’s not a big thing for us to do, but it makes a big difference for them because sometimes they don’t have carers or their children to help them and they want to get in the sea.

‘It’s also the people who come back each season – the returning and new lifeguards – the team is really solid every year and we make friends with each other outside of work.’

Ben reflects on a memorable moment while working on Brighton beach: ‘In 2024, we got to know a local resident who would come down and swim on lifeguarded beaches. They’d also draw pictures of the lifeguards and give them to us.

‘Throughout the season, they started talking to us more and more and would ask us for swimming advice. Over two, three months, I could see their swimming improving.

‘It showed me that the sea can do a lot of good things if you respect it. It was a really nice addition to that summer season.’

Ben talks about exploring new opportunities but finds himself returning to the beach season after season. He said: ‘It just proves how good the job is because I keep coming back. That’s not because I don’t have other options, it’s just that this job is really really great.’

For anyone thinking about becoming a beach lifeguard, Ben has a few words of advice, he said: ‘Get in the water as much as you can, join a local surf lifesaving club, get your swimming up to standard and get your beach lifeguarding qualification lined up. Try and find first aid videos online, talk to your local lifeguards and ask them questions because we know stuff that we can help pass down.’

Ben’s dedication and passion for beach lifeguarding is reflected in RNLI lifeguards across the UK and Ireland, whose skills, knowledge and vigilance help keep beachgoers safe. It’s lifeguards like Ben who the RNLI recognise and celebrate this Friday 31 July for Lifeguard Appreciation Day.

RNLI lifeguards have been keeping our beaches safer since 2001. Figures show that in 2025, RNLI lifeguards saved 16 lives across the South East of England, responding to 2,567 incidents and assisting 2,843 people. Behind each one of these statistics are dedicated lifeguards, who make a real impact to people visiting the coast.

The RNLI is urging anyone visiting the coast to make sure they keep themselves and their families safe by being water smart and following their beach safety advice.

• Visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags.

• Check the weather forecast, tide times and read local hazard signage to understand local risks.

• For activities like paddleboarding or kayaking we recommend you wear a wetsuit, buoyancy aid or lifejacket and carry a means of calling for help in a waterproof pouch and keep it on you. Tell someone what you are doing, where you are going and when you expect to return.

• If you are going open water swimming, use a wetsuit to keep you warm, wear a bright coloured swim hat and take a tow float to store personal items including a phone for emergencies.

• If you fall into the water unexpectedly, FLOAT TO LIVE. Fight your instinct to thrash around, lean back, extend your arms and legs, and Float.

• In an emergency dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

-Ends-

Notes to editor:

To find your nearest lifeguarded beach, service dates and operating times, find out here: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeguarded-beaches.

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Kate Barkley, RNLI Communications Staff Member for RNLI, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, 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.