RNLI tribute to beach lifesavers on International Lifeguard Appreciation Day

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is marking International Lifeguard Appreciation Day on 31 July by recognising the dedication, professionalism and lifesaving impact of RNLI lifeguards who help keep millions of beach visitors safe each year.

The day comes during a landmark year for the RNLI's lifeguard service, which is celebrating 25 years of patrolling beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. Since the service launched in 2001, RNLI lifeguards have saved 2,165 lives, aided more than 459,000 people, responded to over 333,000 incidents and carried out more than 48 million preventative actions.

RNLI lifeguards are best known for rescuing people in difficulty in the water, but much of their work takes place before an incident ever develops. Around 95% of a lifeguard's role is prevention, from advising swimmers about rip currents and changing conditions to helping families stay safe on the beach and reuniting lost children with their parents.

Today, the RNLI provides lifeguard patrols on more than 245 beaches, making it the UK's largest lifeguard service provider. The service has grown significantly since its pilot scheme in 2001, when lifeguards patrolled 26 beaches across the south and south-west of England. In that first year alone, lifeguards aided 2,801 people and saved 20 lives.

Peter Dawes, RNLI Lifeguard General Manager, said:

"On International Lifeguard Appreciation Day, we want to thank every RNLI lifeguard, past and present, for the extraordinary contribution they make to public safety."

"Whether they are carrying out a rescue, providing casualty care, reuniting a lost child with their family or giving vital safety advice, our lifeguards make a difference every single day."

"This year marks 25 years of RNLI lifeguards keeping beaches safer, and the impact they have had is remarkable. More than 2,000 lives have been saved thanks to their skill, commitment and professionalism. As a charity, we are incredibly proud of what they have achieved and grateful to the supporters whose donations help train, equip and sustain this lifesaving service."

Before taking up a patrol position, RNLI lifeguards undertake extensive training, including fitness assessments, rescue techniques and casualty care, ensuring they are prepared to respond to a wide range of incidents and emergencies.

Lewis Timson is a Lifeguard Supervisor in Newquay and was part of the first RNLI lifeguards to be on beaches in 2001 when he was 18-years-old. Before the RNLI, Lewis was part of the local surf school which would operate lifeguarding alongside teaching surf lessons.

Lewis said:

‘The RNLI already had a strong, 180-year history of providing a front-line emergency lifesaving service and were able to bring the knowledge and expertise over from the lifeboat service to the lifeguards. The equipment and the training from the RNLI really set the gold-standard. As soon as I was working for the RNLI I knew that it was what I wanted to do.

Lewis has worked overseas as well as on Cornish beaches and when asked whether lifeguarding had changed over the past 25 years, he continued:

‘The fundamentals are the same, we still need to be well trained, capable, skilled lifeguards on our beaches. But there has definitely been a shift with how we keep people safe. This has developed alongside the amount of people we now get visiting our beaches and going in the water. Lifeguarding now is such a proactive service. Being proactive is the standard and the new ‘normal’.

As families continue to enjoy the coast this summer, the RNLI is encouraging people to choose a lifeguarded beach whenever possible and to swim between the red and yellow flags.

To find your nearest RNLI lifeguarded beach, visit rnli.org/lifeguardedbeach.

ENDS

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Oliver Wrynne-Simpson, 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.