RNLI lifeguards start daily beach patrols in Great Yarmouth

Between 10am and 6pm, the lifeguards will patrol daily on Gorleston-on-Sea beach from 23 May as a service that will remain in operation until Sunday 13 September.

Then, from 11 July, the beaches at Great Yarmouth and Hemsby will join the patrolled beach service, totalling to three RNLI lifeguarded beaches across Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. The beaches at Great Yarmouth and Hemsby will be patrolled until Sunday 6 September.

The lifeguarding team in the North and East have been working hard to complete vital training and are looking forward to returning to the beaches full time.

RNLI Lead Lifeguard Supervisor, Ted Morgan said: ‘After completing their pre‑season training, our lifeguards are ready and excited to return to the beach. This year marks 25 years of the RNLI lifeguard service, and we’re encouraging everyone to swim between the red and yellow flags so they can enjoy the coast safely.’

Councillor Carl Smith, Leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: ‘Great Yarmouth Borough Council is delighted to once again welcome the RNLI lifeguarding service to our beaches this summer. The reassurance it provides people at Gorleston, Great Yarmouth and Hemsby is always enormously appreciated. The teams offer invaluable advice and first aid – as well as crucial help for people in emergency situations. We are so lucky to have the RNLI lifeguards on our beaches and are enormously grateful for their continued support to the borough.’

Councillor James Bensly, Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s portfolio holder for Tourism, Culture and Coastal Management added: ‘RNLI lifeguards provide a highly visible boost to public confidence when people visit our superb beaches – for our resident and our many thousands of visitors. Supporting the tourism industry is of real importance to the council and, in what is the 25-year anniversary of the RNLI lifeguarding service, we are very grateful that the team will be in the borough again this summer.’

When visiting the beach this summer remember:

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

· Keep a close eye on your family - on the beach and in the water - don't allow your family to swim alone.

· If you fall into the water unexpectedly, FLOAT TO LIVE. Find out how here: Float To Live – What To Do In An Emergency – RNLI

To learn more about RNLI lifeguarded beaches visit: RNLI Lifeguards In The UK And Channel Islands

Notes to editors

· As RNLI lifeguards need to be physically on the beach during the patrolled hours, ready to respond to emergencies and prevent accidents, the RNLI can’t rely on volunteers to provide this cover seven days a week.

· Local authorities part fund the RNLI’s costs, which helps meet the cost of lifeguard wages.

· Throughout 2026, the RNLI is celebrating the 25-year anniversary of the lifeguarding service.

RNLI online

For more information, please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the RNLI News Centre.

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.

RNLI Media Contacts

RNLI media contacts

For more information, please email Gillian Carmoodie at [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336 789.

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.