
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 the viewers into the heart of the action, capturing the unpredictable work of the RNLI in unique detail.\n\nFrom hurricanes to blizzards, from rip currents to quicksand, every day lifeboat crews around the UK and Ireland take on all of the unpredictable conditions that mother nature throws at them. As storm Ophelia hits the British Isles, on the south east coast of Ireland the pagers of the Rosslare crew go off - a small yacht with three people on board is caught in one of the worst storms in living memory. In Devon, the crew at Appledore race an incoming tide to try and reach a man stuck fast in quicksand, while on the north coast of Cornwall the crew of St Agnes must battle through huge breaking waves to reach two young boys being swept out to sea in a deadly rip current.
Source: 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 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 (shortened Versions): 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 ...
31-01-2026
BBC 2
Series 9: 4. First Time For Everything
For every RNLI crew member, the first shout is just the beginning of many firsts.\n\nOn the south western tip of Ireland, Castletownbere crew member Donagh faces a baptism of fi ...
16-01-2026
BBC 2
Series 5 (shortened Versions): Episode 8
During one of the worst storms in living memory, on the south coast of England the crew of Hastings lifeboat receive an emergency call. A surfer, hoping to make the most of the ...
11-12-2025
BBC 2
Series 5 (shortened Versions): Episode 7
Of the almost 9,000 emergencies the RNLI’s lifeboats launch to every year, just seven per cent are to commercial vessels. The vast majority of their shouts are to those us ...
26-11-2025
BBC 2
Series 6 (shortened Versions): Episode 6
There are now over 600 women who are active lifeboat crew, a number which has doubled in the last ten years. In Calshot, Kelley volunteered for the crew 18 months ago, despite n ...
06-11-2025
BBC 2
Series 4: Episode 1
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. Saving Lives At Sea tells the story of the ord ...
05-04-2022
BBC 2
Saving Lives At Sea Ser 2 Cutdowns: 1. Saving Lives At Sea
Documentary series following the men and women of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). \n\nIn south west Wales, the Tenby crew race to a kayaker with suspected back a ...
20-05-2021
BBC 2
Series 2: Episode 11
Every day around the UK, an army of unpaid volunteers put their lives on the line to try and save complete strangers. Saving Lives at Sea tells the story of the ordinary men and ...
22-03-2018
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 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 ...
11-10-2022
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 5: Episode 5
Week in, week out, across the UK and Ireland volunteers give up their weekends and evenings to learn life-saving techniques ready for when they need to put their skills into use ...
29-07-2024
BBC 2
Series 8: 5. Adrenaline
Whenever their pagers sound, every single one of the RNLI’s 5,600 sea-going crew members experience exactly the same thing: the rush of adrenaline.\n\nIn Plymouth, the cre ...
10-11-2023
BBC 2
Series 3: Episode 9
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 me ...
27-11-2020
BBC 2
Series 6: Episode 1
Over 90% of the RNLI’s rescues come under the broad heading of ‘leisure gone wrong’. Often an innocent day at the beach or a trip out to sea can turn into a ni ...
21-02-2023
BBC 2