How do RNLI lifeguards keep beaches safe?

Highly trained and highly skilled, RNLI beach lifeguards work hard to ensure you and your family can have fun and stay safe at the beach. To do that, they follow three key principles:

Prevention: RNLI beach lifeguards work to gain a deep understanding of the geography of their beach, allowing them to identify hazards that could put beachgoers at risk. Through the use of beach flags and signage, the lifeguards can warn people to stay away from dangerous areas, such as rip currents, hidden rocks or busy water-traffic areas.

Intervention: Lifeguards are constantly surveying their patrol area to monitor beachgoers and identify those who might put themselves in danger. They will then work to intervene before an incident happens, communicating with the public when they are at risk and sharing essential safety advice.

Rescue: If someone does get in difficulty in the water, RNLI lifeguards are ready to go to their rescue. Whether that's swimming out to someone struggling in water, paddling out on a rescue board to a person caught in a rip, or providing casualty care to someone injured or in danger on the beach, lifeguards are trained to respond to a number of emergency scenarios.

Through these principles, RNLI lifeguards keep thousands of people safe every year, many without them even realising it. If you would like to have fun and stay safe at the coast this summer, find your nearest lifeguarded beach.

What to do if you are ...

Why choose an RNLI lifeguarded beach?

For the best chance of survival, you need someone on the beach who can see the dangers develop: someone who can prevent accidents before they happen and respond instantly if they occur.

In fact, the work of the RNLI lifeguard service begins before our lifeguards and the people they watch over even hit the beach. Every year, lifeguard-supported education programmes inform children and adults how to keep themselves safe at the beach ahead of, and throughout, the season.

How can I tell if it's a lifeguarded beach?

You can tell if you are on an lifeguarded beach by the red-and-yellow beach flags that will be on display. Not only do these show where lifeguards are on patrol, they also indicate where to swim to ensure you are under their direct supervision.

Lifeguards will patrol up and down the beach and speak with those they think may need additional safety advice or to be warned of potential dangers. If you have a question about the beach or how to stay safe, you can always go up to a lifeguard and ask them. They will be happy to help.

Some lifeguarded beaches will have lifeguard buildings or huts close to the beach. You can use these as a landmark to share with your family, in case they get lost. Lifeguards are happy to help reunite loved ones if they get separated on a busy beach.

Lifeguards also carry first aid kits and can provide casualty care if needed. Many lifeguard units also have access to defibrillators, so if someone is suffering from a heart attack, they have the kit and training needed to help. Lifeguards are also in contact with the coastguard and other emergency services, so can raise the alarm or call for extra help if needed.