RNLI lifeboat crews protect hundreds of communities around the UK and Ireland.
Our search and rescue service
What we do
With your support, we save lives at sea.
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the RNLI is ready to save lives. Powered by courage, determination and the support of generous people like you.
Our volunteer lifeboat crews provide a 24-hour rescue service in the UK and Ireland and our seasonal lifeguards patrol busy beaches. RNLI crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives since 1824.
We're more than just a rescue service – we influence, supervise and educate people too. Our Community Safety teams explain the risks and share safety knowledge with anyone going out to sea or to the coast. And our international teams work with like-minded organisations to help tackle drowning in communities at risk all around the world.
The lifeboat service
Our volunteer lifeboat crews are ready to launch 24/7. With 238 lifeboat stations around the coasts of the UK and Ireland, the RNLI has created a ring of safety to help protect and save those in peril at sea.
Crew members come from all walks of life, with many joining the RNLI with no previous maritime experience. But they all share one thing in common – a selfless, dedicated commitment to saving lives at sea. And, thanks to your support, the RNLI can provide them with the training, equipment and craft they need to be lifesavers.
269 Lives saved by lifeboat crews in 2023
86 lives saved by lifeguards in 2023
10,734 people helped by lifeboat crews in 2023
19,979 people aided by lifeguards in 2023
What does it take to launch?
Right now, RNLI lifeboat crews are ready to rescue
Lifeguard service
Every summer, RNLI lifeguards patrol 239 beaches around the UK and Channel Islands, keeping many people safe. They share vital safety advice, give first aid to those who need it, and are ready to rescue anyone who gets into trouble in the water.
Safety advice from RNLI experts
Find out how you can keep you and your loved ones safe in and on the water with the latest advice
International
Anyone can drown. No one should. Across the globe, 227 children under the age of 15 drown every single day. One person drowns every two minutes. The RNLI won’t stand by while this happens.
Working with international partners and communities, we help deliver safety advice, training and equipment to help protect those most at risk of drowning, as well as working to raise awareness of the global drowning problem.
Help keep crews ready for anything
Older RNLI all-weather lifeboats need replacing with our advanced Shannon class lifeboat. Donate to our Shannon 2025 Appeal and you’ll help give crews a craft as dependable as they are.
Explore the RNLI's lifesaving work
Discover what our lifeguards do, how they train, and find your nearest lifeguarded beach.
Lifeguards and beaches
We share our expertise to help communities most at risk of drowning overseas.
Our international work
We help you to stay safe through our water safety advice and initiatives.
Our prevention work