
Every day in the seas around the UK and Ireland, an army of unpaid volunteers put their lives on the line to save those of others. This series tells the story of the ordinary men and women of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) who are ready to race to the rescue of those in trouble, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, whatever the weather. Using footage shot on the crews' own cameras, this series takes us into the heart of the action, capturing the unpredictable work of the RNLI in unique detail.\n\nIn Brighton the crew are called out to what they think is just a routine job - towing a yacht that has lost power back to harbour - but a sudden spring squall and mountainous waves leave the crew fighting to save the yacht and themselves from being dashed on the shore. Off the east coast of Ireland, the crew of the small fishing village of Howth respond to an emergency call from a family on a local beach - a teenage girl out on a sailing dinghy has capsized and is now being swept out into the Irish Sea. While on the island of Anglesey, the crew of Moelfre are also heading out to help a family in trouble - two women have swum out to save a friend's young son being blown out to sea on an inflatable, but it quickly becomes the rescuers that need saving themselves.
Source: BBC 2
Series 10: 4. Yacht On The Rocks
The Newhaven crew make a desperate attempt to convince a solo yachtsman that he needs rescuing; when his anchor line snaps, he is at the mercy of the rolling swells and the stor ...
29-07-2026
BBC 2
Series 10: 3. Windsurfer Caught In The Storm
With Storm Eunice - and its 100 mph winds - battering the south coast, the Portsmouth crew have to decide whether they can even launch to a windsurfer in trouble. Once they&rsqu ...
22-07-2026
BBC 2
Series 10: 2. Race To Rescue A Family
A ten-year-old boy is swept out to sea on a paddleboard in North Berwick. His parents have rushed out to try and save him, but all three of them are now struggling in the water. ...
09-07-2026
BBC 2
Series 6: Episode 3
Every lifeboat volunteer undergoes hundreds of hours of training to get them up to the level of expertise needed to join a crew. But even with the best instruction available, a ...
01-07-2026
BBC 2
Series 7: 6. Ready For Anything
In Eastbourne, a routine day at the station changes in an instant when a boat catches fire just outside the harbour. In Trevone, north Cornwall, 18-year-old lifeguard Alfie race ...
25-06-2026
BBC 2
Series 9: 10. Hidden Dangers
The RNLI respond to over 9,000 shouts each year - and what often gets people into trouble in the first place are the hidden dangers.\n\nIn Porthcawl, on the south-west coast of ...
14-05-2026
BBC 2
Series 9: 9. Pride
Whatever their individual background or experience, the RNLI’s 5,700 volunteers all share the pride of pulling on the famous yellow jacket.\n\nOn the north Somerset coast, ...
08-05-2026
BBC 2
Series 9: 8. Pressure
Whenever their pagers sound, the volunteers of the RNLI immediately find themselves under pressure.\n\nIn Port Isaac, on the north coast of Cornwall, the crew race to the rescue ...
23-04-2026
BBC 2
Series 6 (shortened Versions): Episode 5
Each year the volunteer crews of the RNLI respond to around 9,000 call outs, from paddleboarders swept out to sea to sinking fishing boats, from families caught in rip currents ...
24-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 9: 7. Knife Edge
In the 200 years since the RNLI was founded, its crews have saved the lives of over 146,000 people. But even with all that experience behind them, shouts often balance on a knif ...
22-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 10: 4. Yacht On The Rocks
The Newhaven crew make a desperate attempt to convince a solo yachtsman that he needs rescuing; when his anchor line snaps, he is at the mercy of the rolling swells and the stor ...
29-07-2026
BBC 2
Series 10: 1. Emergency In The Channel
Lifeboat crews are dedicated to saving people at sea - but having to deal with the loss of life is occasionally unavoidable.\n\nAt 4.50am, after responding to a mayday for a sma ...
07-08-2025
BBC 2
Series 9: 10. Hidden Dangers
The RNLI respond to over 9,000 shouts each year - and what often gets people into trouble in the first place are the hidden dangers.\n\nIn Porthcawl, on the south-west coast of ...
14-05-2026
BBC 2
Series 4 (shortened Versions): Episode 7
Every day in the seas around the UK and Ireland, an army of unpaid volunteers put their lives on the line to save those of others. This is the story of the ordinary men and wome ...
10-04-2023
BBC 2
Series 6: Episode 5
The volunteer crews of the RNLI are often described as heroes, but it’s a word many of them find difficult to accept. In Trearddur Bay, Anglesey, Sara and her daughter Kat ...
01-03-2023
BBC 2
Series 10: 2. Race To Rescue A Family
A ten-year-old boy is swept out to sea on a paddleboard in North Berwick. His parents have rushed out to try and save him, but all three of them are now struggling in the water. ...
09-07-2026
BBC 2
Series 9: 6. Trust
Every one of the RNLI’s crew members brings their own unique skills to the station at which they volunteer. But they’re all united by one key element: trust.\n\nIn H ...
13-02-2026
BBC 2
Series 6: Episode 10
Last year, the lifeboats around the UK and Ireland came to the aid of over 8,300 people. But no matter what they face when they head out on a shout, all crew members are instill ...
18-03-2023
BBC 2
Series 9: 7. Knife Edge
In the 200 years since the RNLI was founded, its crews have saved the lives of over 146,000 people. But even with all that experience behind them, shouts often balance on a knif ...
22-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 4 Cutdowns: Episode 8
Calshot lifeboat station on the south coast of England gets a call out to one of the biggest jobs its crews have ever faced - an 180-metre-long, 50,000-tonne cargo ship has hit ...
16-01-2021
BBC 2