RNLI in tribute to beach lifesavers on International Lifeguard Appreciation Day

When the charity launched a pilot scheme in England in the year 2000, the aim was to provide a joined-up service to save more lives. Today, RNLI lifeguards patrol more than 245 beaches.

The lifeguard service was introduced in Northern Ireland in 2011 on beaches along the North Coast at Benone, Downhill, Castlerock, Portstewart Strand, Portrush West, Portrush East and Whiterocks and since then, has expanded to include Ballycastle as well as Cranfield, Tyrella and Murlough in County Down.

During that time, lifeguards have responded to 2,300 incidents and made 500 rescue efforts. This summer, a 90-strong team is busy delivering the service and providing daily patrols.

Among those rescued over the last 15 years are Andrew Todd and his two children Issy and Zack. The family from Helen’s Bay in County Down were visiting Whiterocks Beach on a warm summer’s day in 2022 when they got into difficulty.

Recalling his rescue, Andrew, a strong sea kayaker, who is no stranger to water safety, says he knew when he arrived that the swell was immense: ‘The water was rough with more than 2m-high surf and powerful waves. I have a lifelong respect of the water and I’m very aware of the dangers so when my children came along, I was determined to instil in them the same respect, and an understanding of the power and wonder of the ocean. I taught them to swim in the sea, how to use the currents and what to do if they’re ever in a rip.’

Before everyone headed into the sea, Andrew talked about the RNLI’s red and yellow flags and pointed out a rip current to the left of them: ‘There was a very strong flow of water running along the beach feeding the rip current,’ says Andrew. ‘We were very clear on staying between the flags for our whole session. We carefully chose a safe spot and made our way into the water and started to jump the waves, paddle and swim.’

The group had agreed on a time to get out of the sea and head back to their towels. ‘It was only in the last few minutes that I realised we had suddenly got deeper than I was comfortable with. We had slipped past the flags and out of the red and yellow swim zone.

‘We started to swim back to shore. Issy who was 18 at the time, was making good progress but my youngest, Zack who was 13, didn’t have the strength. I stayed with him to encourage him on. Issy looked round to check on us and realised we weren’t making it in and stopped to call back to us. She was quickly carried back out, losing the ground she had made.’

Just minutes earlier, Senior Lifeguard Adam King and Lifeguard Luke McAvoy had rescued two people from a rip current further up the beach. Once the swimmers were safely back on land, the lifeguards moved the red and yellow flags to mark out the new swim zone, away from where the rip current had formed.

Lifeguard Ellen Knox, who was also on duty that day noticed three swimmers beginning to drift very quickly in a flash rip current that had formed. She grabbed her rescue board and ran into the water. As Ellen made her way through the choppy surf, Adam and Luke launched the rescue watercraft. While the lifeguards fought through the rough surf, Andrew concentrated on keeping his family calm. ‘The first lifeguard was in the water, on her board, paddling it towards Issy. I was still with Zack. I told him to stop swimming and just held him close, to avoid getting separated and to conserve energy. We were calling to Issy to reassure her all was well, and she stayed calm too.’

The rescue watercraft arrived and Andrew and Zack were back on shore seconds later. ‘After the rescue,’ Andrew says, ‘I had a chat with Issy and Zack and reassured them that these things happen, and it was no one’s fault. We were all back in the water the next day to make sure there would be no long-lasting anxiousness or worries. We are all immensely grateful for the speed and confidence the RNLI lifeguards showed that day.’

RNLI lifeguards are best known for rescuing people in difficulty in the water, but around 95% of a lifeguard's role is prevention.

Michael Thompson is the RNLI Lifeguard Lead for Northern Ireland and a former lifeguard himself. He says: ‘On International Lifeguard Appreciation Day, we want to thank every RNLI lifeguard, past and present, for the extraordinary contribution they make to public safety, and we want to recognise their dedication, professionalism and lifesaving impact. 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.’

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.

And while there have been advancements over the years, Michael says the fundamentals remain the same: ‘We still need to have well trained, capable, skilled lifeguards on our beaches. But there has been a shift in 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.’

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

Ends

Note to Editor

Did you know?

RNLI lifeguards patrol 12 beaches in Northern Ireland. In 2025, they carried out 65,714 preventative actions, came to the aid of 402 people, seven of whom were lives saved seven lives

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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.

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