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 ordinary men and women of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) who are ready to answer their pager’s call and 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 \nKeeping watch over the River Thames, the crew at Tower in central London, the busiest of the RNLI’s 238 stations, are called to a man reported in the water eight miles downstream. On arrival, they discover a river bus already on the scene and their crew desperately trying to hang on to the unmoving man before he disappears under the water\n\n At one of the most remote stations, Trearddur Bay on Anglesey, the crew are called to an inaccessible coastal fishing spot, where an angler has plunged face first down a cliff onto rocks. With no helicopter available, the crew and their small inshore lifeboat are the only option to get him to urgent medical treatment. Meanwhile in Portsmouth, gale force winds and a churning sea make a routine rescue particularly challenging.
Source: 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 ...
14-08-2025
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. ...
13-08-2025
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 8: 10. Expect The Unexpected
In 2022, the lifeboats around the UK and Ireland launched over 9,300 times. On each and every shout, the crews must expect the unexpected.\n\nOn the Isle of Wight, the Bembridge ...
09-07-2025
BBC 2
Series 8: 9. All Hands On Deck
Although the RNLI is made up of over 35,000 individual volunteers, when the call comes in, it’s all hands on deck.\n\nThe North Berwick crew race out to try and save a win ...
03-07-2025
BBC 2
Series 8: 8. 24-7
The volunteer crews of the RNLI’s 238 lifeboat stations can be paged at any time, day or night, calling them away from friends, families and colleagues to head out into th ...
25-06-2025
BBC 2
Series 8: 2. In A Split Second
Last year, RNLI’s lifeboats launched over 9,000 times. And whenever they hit the water, the crews all know that someone’s life can be dependent on their split-second ...
18-06-2025
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 ...
22-04-2025
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 ...
12-04-2025
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 ...
29-03-2025
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
Series 6 (shortened Versions): Episode 9
We rely on our lifeboat crews 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year - they risk their lives saving ours, even in the most challenging conditions.\n\nIn St Davids, on the Pembroke ...
22-11-2023
BBC 2
Series 9: 1. Saving Lives At Sea In World War Ii
In this special episode commemorating the 2024 bicentenary of the RNLI, Dermot O’Leary uncovers the untold story of the institution’s heroic efforts in the Second Wo ...
04-04-2024
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 ...
09-05-2024
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 ...
23-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 5: Episode 10
When the pagers sound, sending lifeboats into the waters of the UK and Ireland, the crews on board rely on both their training and experience to bring casualties home safely to ...
15-08-2024
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: 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, ...
30-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 5: Episode 3
The lifeboat crews are on call all year round, but it is in the summer months when they are at their busiest. While the crowds that flock to the coast relax and soak up the sun, ...
22-05-2024
BBC 2
Series 5: Episode 4
The seas and lakes of the UK and Ireland can catch out even the most experienced seafarers and, more often than not, it is the RNLI volunteers who pick up the pieces. \n\nIn Ess ...
21-10-2020
BBC 2