RNLI

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Our page is an open and welcoming community of RNLI supporters and volunteers all coming together to help save lives at sea and we want to hear from you about your experiences. As a charity funded by your generosity, we welcome your feedback and are always happy to discuss any aspects of our lifesaving work. However, to ensure our page remains a safe and welcoming space for everyone, we reserve the right to remove comments eg those that are offensive or abusive towards others.

28/08/2026

Remember: Phone, Float, Throw 🛟

Heading to the coast this Bank Holiday weekend? Here’s what to do if you see anyone in trouble in the water:

1. Phone 999 to get help.
2. Encourage them to relax and Float on their back.
3. Throw rescue equipment or anything that floats to help them until emergency services arrive.

If you get into trouble in the water, remember .

Enjoy the coast, but do so safely. Visit a lifeguarded beach 💙

[Visual description: A female RNLI lifeguard falls into water and simulates struggling. A male lifeguard speaks to camera, shows a mobile phone followed by a lifebuoy. Tenby Harbour can be seen in the background.]

27/08/2026

Can you imagine clinging to the wreckage of this aircraft in open water, miles away from land?

For two Irish pilots, this was real life as they were forced to ditch into the sea off the Ceredigion coast following mechanical difficulties.

They were found sitting on top of the wreckage waiting for help when they were rescued by our volunteers from New Quay Lifeboat station, RNLI Cardigan Lifeboat, RNLI Fishguard Lifeboat and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, in this emergency multi-agency response.

They received expert casualty care and a hot drink before spending one night in hospital due to shock.

We're so grateful the casualties were okay 💙

In a heart-warming show of gratitude, the pilots recently returned to New Quay Lifeboat Station to thank their rescuers, presenting a commemorative clock and an incredible €10,000 donation raised by the Irish aviation community to support our lifesaving work.

'It’s difficult to put into words how grateful we are to everyone who helped us that evening. From the moment the rescue operation began we knew we were in the hands of highly skilled professionals.

We want to thank the crews from New Quay, Cardigan and Fishguard RNLI, as well as HM Coastguard, for their incredible response and for bringing us safely home to our families.'

[Visual description: The wreckage of the crashed aircraft the pilots were clinging onto floats in the deap blue sea beneath a blue sky with light cloud.]

26/08/2026

We're assuming you're a fan of our lifeboats and lifeguards so here's some of our favourite snaps from August 💙

You’re welcome.

Do you recognise any of these locations? Let us know in the comments.

📷
1: Sean Ryrie
2: Chris's quest - life boat station tour
3. Tom Kerley
4: Georgia Fraser
5: Janet Snudden
6: Nigel Millard
7: Charlotte Dashfield

[Visual description: A series of photographs of various different lifeboats and lifeguards. Image one - Two RNLI all-weather lifeboats sit side by side with a rainbow arching over the top. Image two - a group of inshore lifeboat's and one all-weather lifeboat travelling across the sea. Image three - An inshore lifeboat heads across choppy waters. Image four - Two RNLI lifeguards in wetsuits walking out of the sea. Image five - An RNLI inshore lifeboat is being pulled onto the shore by a track tractor. Image six - A group of crew members wearing yellow and red RNLI kit and helmets stand at the stern of an all-weather lifeboat. Image seven - An RNLI all-weather lifeboat with 'Skegness Lifeboat' written on the stern travels across the water.]

25/08/2026

With darkness closing in and a challenging swell building, Scarborough Lifeboat Station launched to bring an injured angler home safely.

The angler was stranded on rocks and had suffered a leg injury. With difficult terrain making a land rescue risky, a Maritime and Coastguard Agency team stabilised his injury while Scarborough RNLI prepared for a lifeboat evacuation.

Despite the near-darkness and increasingly challenging conditions, the volunteer crew safely brought him back to Scarborough Lifeboat Station, where he was later taken to hospital.

Scarborough RNLI Helm Lee Marton said: 'We just needed to get them home. Conditions were challenging, but teamwork and training made all the difference.'

Between 2019 and 2024, 41 anglers lost their lives fishing around the UK coast. Wearing a lifejacket and carrying a means of calling for help could save your life ⚠️

Catch the full rescue on Saving Lives at Sea at 8pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer 💙

[Visual description: In the darkness we see a town's lights in the distance as the lifeboat launches. A large wave knocks into the crew members on the lifeboat, and then they arrive at the beach's edge. A crew member speaks to the injured man and they then transport him carefully to the lifeboat. The lifeboat launches back into the waves before helping the casualty onto the shore where paramedics and family wait.]

24/08/2026

Jellyfish sting? 🪼

Lifeguard Grace knows what to do.

[Visual description: A female RNLI lifeguard pretends to be stung by a jellyfish before talking through what to do after being stung. She demonstrates how to scrape tentacles off the skin using a card and wash the area in the sea. Text on screen reads ‘Have you been stung by a jellyfish?']

21/08/2026

Our RNLI St Davids Lifeboat volunteers are ready to launch into the weekend 😎

If you're heading to the coast, remember:
- Choose a lifeguarded beach
- If you get into difficulty in the water,
- In a coastal emergency, call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard

To find your nearest lifeguarded beach, visit our website: https://bit.ly/4vD1q61 💙

[Visual description: Split video screen. The top half of the video shows the bow of an orange RNLI Tamar class all-weather lifeboat launching down the slipway at St Davids into the water, making a big, white water splash. The bottom half of the video shows RNLI crew standing at the stern of the Tamar as it launches. Text on screen reads: 3,2,1, Launch!]

20/08/2026

37 years ago today, the Marchioness disaster claimed 51 lives on the River Thames.

In the aftermath, an inquiry recommended that London should have a dedicated rescue service on the Thames; a recommendation that helped shape the future of lifesaving on the river.

In 2002, the RNLI began its lifesaving service on the Thames, with four lifeboat stations at RNLI Teddington Lifeboat Station, Chiswick RNLI, TowerRNLI and Gravesend RNLI.

Next year marks 25 years of the RNLI’s lifesaving service on the Thames, a milestone that reflects the vital legacy of those recommendations and the importance of keeping people safe on the river.

As we remember those who lost their lives, we also recognise the powerful lifesaving work that continues on the Thames today.

[Visual description: From the window at Tower lifeboat station, the Thames river is steady beneath Waterloo Bridge until Tower RNLI's E class lifeboat launches into frame across the waves. The text on screen tells us about the Marchioness disaster and the RNLI's Thames stations running today.]

19/08/2026

We hear ‘I can’t float’ A LOT.

The majority of people CAN float, you just need to find what works for you.

The purpose of floating is to keep your airway clear and help you to relax and conserve your energy.

Remember to practise floating at a supervised location. It doesn’t matter what your float looks like - it could save your life.

[Visual description: A blonde female talks to camera at Sea Lanes in Canary Wharf. A swimming pool and skyscrapers can be seen in the background. The video cuts to an RNLI lifeguard demonstrating the Float technique. Text on screen reads ‘So you think you can’t Float 🫵’]

18/08/2026

'Without his quick thinking we would have seen a very tragic result,' says volunteer coxswain Josh Stewart who helped rescue a fisherman from the water off Porthcawl.

The fisherman was prepared for the sea. He had his lifejacket, waterproofs and a personal locator beacon.

But he hadn’t even finished getting dressed when a rogue rope suddenly pulled him overboard.

In an instant, he was stranded in freezing water.

Thankfully, he managed to grab one of his own marker buoys and, crucially, used his waterproof mobile phone to call for help. That quick thinking proved lifesaving.

After nearly an hour in the cold water, he was spotted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency helicopter and pulled to safety by Porthcawl RNLI Lifeboat volunteer crew. His body temperature was very low and he was shaking considerably when brought aboard. A coastguard paramedic treated him before he was taken to shore.

A frightening reminder that at sea, anything can happen. Being prepared can make all the difference.

Catch the full rescue TONIGHT at 8pm on Saving Lives at Sea on BBC Two 💙

[Visual description: A fisherman is rescued from the sea by RNLI crew in an inshore lifeboat. He's hoisted onto the lifeboat and has a lifejacket put on him. The boat launches through the waves.]

17/08/2026

Do you think Steven sounds like his iconic Saving Lives at Sea voice over? 👂

We’re celebrating TEN YEARS of Saving Lives at Sea this year!

To mark the occasion, Steven Mackintosh has sent a lovely message to our loyal viewers ahead of the Series 11 premiere tomorrow on BBC Two 💙

We can’t wait for you to join us!

[Visual description: Steven Mackintosh is in front of a plain background in a blue jumper as he speaks to the camera. He notes the 10th anniversary of Saving Lives at Sea and hopes the viewers enjoy the new series.]

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West Quay Road
Poole
BH15 1HZ

Telephone

+443003009990

Website

http://www.rnli.org/

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