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 to cargo ships on the rocks. In almost every single rescue every second counts. Saving Lives At Sea tells the story of the ordinary men and women who give up their time to do something extraordinary, giving an insight into the lives of the 6,000 lifeboat crew members who are prepared to put their lives on hold whenever the pager sounds, and whatever the weather. \n\nSaving Lives At Sea brings us some of the RNLI’s most extraordinary recent rescues, filmed with the crews’ own cameras, and taking us straight into the heart of the drama. The series captures life at some of the 238 lifeboat stations across the UK and Ireland, the compelling stories behind the crew members involved, and the heartfelt testimony of the casualties they’ve saved. \n\nWhen they head out on a shout, crew members must often prepare for the worst - dealing with life and loss is part and parcel of the job. For fishermen, the risk of death is six times higher than any job on land, making it the most dangerous occupation in the UK. Just one week after the Newhaven crew were involved in the search for a Brixham beam trawler which went missing off the Sussex coast – with the loss of two lives – they’re called out to reports of another Brixham boat in trouble. On Cornwall’s Perranporth beach, a team of RNLI lifeguards battle to rescue a mother and her son who have been caught in a rip current. In Swanage, the crew respond to multiple 999 calls of a man falling over 100 feet from the top of a local landmark. And on the Thames, the Chiswick and Teddington crews face an unusual challenge under the glare of the world’s media: how to rescue a minke whale that seems to have lost its way.
Source: 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 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 ...
22-03-2025
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 5 (shortened Versions): Episode 9
Last year, the lifeboat crews and lifeguards around the UK and Ireland raced to the aid of over 9,400 people, but all the volunteers know that, when the pager goes off, not ever ...
09-02-2025
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 ...
25-04-2024
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 8: 1. Training To Save Lives
As well as dropping everything when the pager sounds, the volunteer crews of the RNLI also train regularly - so that when the call does come, everyone is primed and ready.\n\nIn ...
13-10-2023
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 ...
04-07-2024
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 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 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
Series 3: Episode 10
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 ...
27-03-2022
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