
In total, the RNLI is made up of over 35,000 individual volunteers, all working together on land and sea to save lives. In Swanage, the lifeboat crew work hand in hand with the specialist coastguard rope team to help an injured climber. In Rhyl, north Wales, a retired crew member comes to the aid of a person in the water when mechanical problems throw a spanner in the works of the lifeboat. On Douglas, in the Isle of Man, a fire on a fishing boat puts the crew on red alert. And in Gravesend, a routine training exercise is diverted by an unusual casualty: a poorly swan.
Source: BBC 2
Series 11: 1. Man Overboard
The Porthcawl crew respond to a 999 call about a local fisherman who’s fallen overboard. As they discover the casualty’s identity, their search becomes increasingly ...
18-08-2026
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: 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 11: 1. Man Overboard
The Porthcawl crew respond to a 999 call about a local fisherman who’s fallen overboard. As they discover the casualty’s identity, their search becomes increasingly ...
18-08-2026
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 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: 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 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 4 Cutdowns: Episode 10
When the lives of the volunteers are interrupted by the sound of their pagers, the crews have no idea what they may be facing. All they know is to expect the unexpected. \n\nIn ...
03-04-2023
BBC 2
Series 9: 2. 999
Of the 9,000 shouts the lifeboat crews respond to each year, the vast majority start - as most emergencies do - with a 999 call.\n\nIn Dungeness, the crew are called out to repo ...
11-04-2024
BBC 2
Series 10: 10. Midnight Emergency
In Blackpool, it’s just after midnight when the crew receive reports of a man in the water. After finding him unresponsive, it’s vital to get him urgent medical atte ...
08-10-2025
BBC 2
Series 6 (shortened Versions): 2. Saving Lives At Sea
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 ...
20-03-2025
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