Meet the RNLI beach lifeguards

To be a lifeguard, you must be dedicated to the role. Each of the brave lifesavers patrolling the beach this summer will bring the following to the sand:

Energy

To be an RNLI lifeguard, you have to be able to run 200m on the sand in under 40 seconds. Swim 400m in under 7 ½ minutes. And be able to swim underwater for 25m, followed by a 25m surface swim in under 50 seconds.

Skill

It takes a lot of training to turn someone into a lifeguard. Casualty care training prepares lifeguards for the most dangerous scenarios. A person collapsed on the sand.  Someone screaming in pain after suffering a horrific injury. Or someone pulled unconscious in the water showing no signs of life. Being able to identify what’s wrong and know how to respond is a key part of lifeguarding. 

Focus

Could you spot a person in danger in the water amongst those playing in the surf? Hear someone calling for help amongst the chatter of a thousand beachgoers? Or the cries of a child lost and afraid on a busy beach? Being a lifeguard means you have to be able to block out distractions to focus on those most at risk. It’s the difference between spotting someone getting into danger and getting there too late to help. 

Courage

When the surf is crashing against the shore, rip currents are tearing people out into dangerous waters, or someone is in desperate need of urgent assistance, it takes a lot of courage to step up and be the one to help. Diving into cold churning waters, pulling terrified people to safety onto your rescue board, or performing CPR effectively on someone while frantic family members beg you to help their loved one – RNLI lifeguards have to be ready for every situation, even the worst case scenarios. 

In 2024, 1,568 lifeguards patrolled beaches across the UK and Channel Islands. Let's meet some of them.

Hear what it's like to be a lifeguard in Northern Ireland from RNLI Beach Lifeguard John Irvine: