Saving Lives at Sea - Episode Guide

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 women of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) who, across the country, are ready to launch their boats and race to the rescue within minutes of a cry for help, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, whatever the weather.
Over 150 years, the volunteers of the RNLI have saved the lives of more than 140,000 people. The winter months are the most treacherous for the people they are called upon to rescue and for the volunteers themselves.

In the first episode, a retired nursery teacher gets herself into danger when attempting to rescue her two dogs after they became cut off by the rising tide. In Wales, one volunteer crew member is washed off a cliff into the sea trying to rescue a concussed spearfisherman, and, in Blackpool, a rescue in a force seven gale goes badly wrong, putting all three crew members' lives in jeopardy. When torrential floods hit Cumbria shortly before Christmas the volunteers are again on hand to try and rescue families trapped by the rising waters.

Documentary following the men and women of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The busiest RNLI station is on the River Thames in central London, established after the Marchioness pleasure cruiser sank in 1989. While it might look benign, the Thames is actually one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the UK, and the volunteers are called from their beds in the middle of the night to try to rescue two students who have jumped naked into the river while high on LSD. At the coast in Newquay, the volunteers and coastguard helicopter are scrambled to try to help a 12-year-old boy on a Cub Scout trip who has fallen badly and has suspected spinal damage. Eastbourne lifeboat station covers a stretch of coastline which includes Beachy Head, so they have had to become more familiar with death than most. Recovering the body of someone who has taken their own life is a duty which the volunteers see as an important service to the family who have lost a loved one.

Every year, an army of unpaid volunteers from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution spend half a million hours saving lives at sea - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, whatever the weather

In Cornwall, newest recruit 18 year-old Shaunna is following in the family tradition and her grandfather's footsteps. After a successful first rescue of a teenage holiday maker, she has hopes to one day become Newquay's first helmswoman.

In the remote fishing village of Oban on the West coast of Scotland they also have a new 18 year-old recruit. Young Andrew and the rest of the crew are given a painful reminder of the dangers all lifeboat volunteers face when they are woken by their pagers in middle of the night to try and rescue the captain and crew of a fishing boat that is sinking, having run aground in the middle of a storm.

Volunteering with the RNLI inevitably means encountering and risking death, and is a sacrifice that takes its toll on the crew members and their families. But, coming as it does with the opportunity for ordinary men and women to save human life, it also has its own very unique rewards.

In the summer months millions of Britains flock to the UK's 11,000 miles of coastline. But, as more and more of us have lost our connection with and understanding of the seas that surround us, it's all too easy to be caught out by the water - making it the busiest time of year by far for the RNLI.

The army of unpaid volunteers has to contend with everything from overly ambitious novice sailors caught in a storm to a little girl who has become trapped in the rocks below the high-water mark.

The dangers of the water are further put into perspective when a father gets himself into serious difficulties after swimming out to try and rescue his young son, whilst a YouTube prankster deliberately flings himself from Tower Bridge for ‘a dare'.

In the first episode a father and daughter find themselves treading water for almost an hour, hundreds of metres out at sea after being swept out by a rip current. In Kinsale, Ireland, three fishermen swim for their lives as their trawler is smashed onto rocks. And in London, an unlucky tourist is minutes from hypothermia after his attempt to take a selfie lands him in the Thames.

Off the coast of Bridlington, a kayaker has been missing for an hour, and only the crews' expert coastal knowledge can help track him down. A crew member on his first shout races to a dinghy capsize to find a man losing consciousness in the water. And when a fishing trawler sinks off the coast of the Shetland Islands, the fishermen and RNLI crew aboard must swim for their lives.

In Ireland, the Castletownbere crew race to rescue a lone yachtsman who has lost his mast and is drifting powerless in 10-metre waves, 45 miles out to sea.

In Minehead a woman on a clifftop walk has gone missing, and after 17 hours the crew are called to search the shoreline. And for an injured horse rider on a remote beach, the Porthcawl crew are the only way to emergency medical help.

In Bangor, Northern Ireland, crews are tasked to find two teenage paddle boarders, blown offshore towards nearby shipping lanes.

The Tenby crew in West Wales must race to a dog who's fallen over a cliff - before worried members of the public attempt to rescue it themselves. And on the North Norfolk coast, the harrowing hovercraft rescue of three young sisters still brings back painful memories for the Hunstanton crew.

In south west Wales, the Tenby crew race to a kayaker with suspected back and neck injuries after being caught out by a freak wave. Neighbouring Cornish crews must join forces in an epic 11 hour battle to stop a 3600 tonne trading vessel breaking up on the rocks. And the Dart and Salcombe crews are astonished to be paged to the biggest shout of their lives.

In episode six of this 12-part series, on one of the hottest days of the year, the Dover crew race to a Channel Swimmer who's collapsed within sight of the French coast.

In Mudeford, there are growing fears for a dinghy sailor who is four miles out in rough seas and refusing to accept help, and the Tenby crew are called to a runaway yacht just metres from running aground.

When a climber falls in a remote cave on the Gower Peninsula, the Mumbles crew are called in.

In Ilfracombe, a father and son find themselves in danger after jumping in to rescue a drowning dog. The Minehead crew must scour the cliffs and shoreline after a young woman goes missing in a distressed state. And when they're paged to a man seen entering the Thames, the Tower crew face the possibility they may not find him in time.

When a seal is discovered on the steps of a block of flats, Redcar's newest recruit is first on the scene.

As the summer sun comes out, so do the fun seekers, and crews around the country get ready for action. In Southend, a family of five out sightseeing are a mile off shore and waist-deep in water after being caught out by the tide. The Shoreham crew are paged in the early hours after a drunken festival-goer jumps in the river. And the Brighton crew fear the worst when a man tombstones off the pier at low tide.

When an early morning dog walker spots a flare off shore, the Rhyl crew race to one of the most mysterious shouts they have seen. The Lowestoft crew find themselves paged to help to a sailor who doesn't want to be rescued. And at Tower, a good samaritan is clinging on for his life after trying to rescue a dog which has jumped into the Thames.

When two yachts capsize off Portsmouth, the crew must make fast decisions about who to rescue first.

Out at sea, minutes and even seconds can make the difference between life and death. On the south coast of Devon, the crew of Salcombe lifeboat station are called to two of the highest level of emergencies at sea - a mayday call to a fisherman pulled to the bottom of the sea ensnared in his own fishing gear and a devastating fire on a boat 15 miles out in the Channel. Over 200 miles away in the waters off Anglesey, as they go to the rescue of a father and his 13-year-old son missing at sea, the crew of Moelfre station uncover a story of survival and heroism.

From first timers at sea to salty old skippers, the wrong conditions can catch anyone off their guard leaving them in need of rescuing. On the east coast of Ireland, the crew of Courtown's inshore lifeboat face one of their most challenging shouts ever - in deep water they must keep a teenage girl with suspected spinal injuries immobile and afloat for 40 minutes, knowing any movement could leave her paralysed for life. Meanwhile on the English Riviera in Devon, the Torbay crew have just minutes to find a capsized kayaker before she is dashed against the rocks, and in Dartmouth, an 81-year-old sailor, fallen overboard in the middle of the night, is left clinging to a rope for his life.

Keeping 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. 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. While in Portsmouth, gale force winds and a churning sea make a routine rescue particularly challenging.

In 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.

The Porthcawl crew have just seconds to spare when two teenagers get caught on a rocky outcrop by a large swell.

The crews race to the rescue of two teenagers trapped in cave, and two lifeboats must battle to save a cargo ship from disaster.

Ruth is on board for one of her first ever shouts - someone has spotted what looks like an upturned boat out at sea.

Police officer Vinny finds himself heading out into the darkness to try and rescue two teenage boys.

As storm Ophelia hits the British Isles, on the south-east coast of Ireland the Rosslare crew try to rescue a small yacht with three people on board. 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.

The RNLI volunteers race to try and rescue a teenager being swept out to sea on an inflatable, two girls caught in a rip current and a woman who has fallen from a cliff in Cornwall.

The volunteers of the RNLI race to the scene of a plane crash on a busy beach, search for a man missing at sea in the Channel Islands and battle to save a horse from drowning.

The volunteers of the RNLI race to save a fisherman from a burning boat, a man stuck in freezing mud, and a walker, who after trying to rescue her dog, now needs saving herself.

The volunteers of the RNLI race to save three kids caught in a cave by the rising tide, a yacht caught in a storm, and search for a pensioner missing for several hours.

The RNLI volunteers race to the rescue of a rock climber who has fallen over 40 feet, a paraglider who has crashed into the sea and a man drifting offshore in a toy dinghy.

The RNLI volunteers race to the rescue of a diver found unconscious 30 metres underwater, a yacht sinking in the middle of the Channel and a windsurfer caught out in storm.

A volunteer in Scotland has to rescue his own father, whose fishing boat is drifting powerless towards a rocky shoreline. In Bristol, a father and son are among the crew that comes to the aid of two five-year-old girls who have drifted into the Bristol channel on an inflatable, while in Ilfracombe, lifeboat volunteers race against time to save a mother and her daughter stranded at the base of huge sea cliffs.

The RNLI volunteers at Lough Ree Lifeboat Station race to the rescue of the last inhabitant of a remote island. On the north-east coast of England, the Blyth crew races to find a kayaker in trouble in the North Sea, while at Tower station in Central London, a dog is trapped by the tide on the River Thames.

The RNLI volunteers race to the rescue of a huge cargo ship aground on a sandbank, a kayaker who has set off an emergency beacon, and a horse in danger of drowning in a river.

RNLI volunteers race to the rescue of a shark attack victim, two boys being swept out to sea in a rip current and two fisherman caught by the tide and now stranded in a rising sea.

RNLI volunteers teams come to the aid of two teenagers stuck in mud on the Humber estuary and a boat that has lost its mast on the freezing waters of Loch Ness.

The volunteers of the RNLI race to save two paddleboarders being swept into a shipping lane, search for a missing fisherman and abandon a crewmate's wedding when the pager calls.

The volunteers of the RNLI race to rescue a stranded porpoise, a teenager trapped by the tide on a rocky outcrop and the crew of a fishing boat on fire.

The volunteers of the RNLI race to rescue a paddleboarder being blown out to sea, a man overboard and two teenage girls trapped on a sandbank and at risk of drowning.

The volunteers of the RNLI race to save a sinking schooner and a walker with a broken leg, while cries for help in the early hours of the morning lead to an eerie night-time search.

The volunteers of the RNLI race to save a stricken fishing boat in a force-eight gale, a yacht trapped on a weir in Loch Ness and a puppy that has swallowed a fishing hook.

The RNLI volunteers race against time to try and save three people in the water in the Bristol Channel, a father and son trapped against a cliff face and a badly injured sailor.

The volunteers of the RNLI race to save a family trapped in their car, slowly being engulfed by the sea, two kayakers close to drowning, and a fossil hunter cut off by the tide.

The RNLI volunteers face a search in one of the worst storms in living memory, race to save three people caught in a rip current and two men stuck on an oil rig's anchor chain.

The RNLI volunteers search for a missing kitesurfer, race to rescue a father and daughter being swept out to sea and try to save all nine lives of a casualty in the Thames.

The RNLI volunteers race to save a teenage paddleboarder being swept out to sea, a sinking cargo ship and a yacht being battered by an Atlantic storm.

The volunteers of the RNLI race to save a surfer at the mercy of Storm Brendan and a paddleboarder who's being swept out to sea - and away from his young children.

The volunteers of the RNLI battle to save a mother and her son who are caught in a rip current, plus a man who has fallen over 100 feet from the top of a cliff.

The lifeboat volunteers pluck a fallen climber out of the sea in Wales, and in Scotland they rescue a 170-ton fishing boat that's perilously close to the rocks in gale force winds.

In London, the RNLI rush to the rescue of a man in the water in the Thames, while in Fleetwood a desperate 999 call alerts the crew to a man in danger of being swept out to sea.

In Trearddur Bay, the RNLI crew battle through a force 10 gale and huge waves to try to rescue a surfer - watched by their worried families back on shore.

In St Agnes, the crew are involved in a race against time to rescue two young men. They are reported to be struggling in the water near a notorious headland known as Tubby's Head.

The RNLI crew in Newhaven face a race against time as they respond to reports of a man who's suffered a seizure on board a tall ship.

On Ireland's south-east coast, the three RNLI crews at Dunmore East, Kilmore Quay and Rosslare battle to save a cargo ship that has lost all power and is drifting towards rocks.

Although each and every call to the RNLI brings its own unique challenges, every single one is a race against time. In Newhaven, two paragliders face a nightmare on Christmas Eve when they land on an isolated stretch of beach with the tide rising rapidly. At Port St Mary, on the Isle of Man, the crew race to the rescue of a stranded yacht in danger of breaking up on rocks with a crew of three still aboard. Across the Irish Sea, in Barry Dock, a teenage girl is caught in a rip current, leaving her unconscious on the beach. And in Great Yarmouth, an inquisitive cat sparks a media frenzy - and a mad dash for the crew - when it falls into the River Yare.

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.

In Lyme Regis, on Dorset's Jurassic coast, the crew face a frantic search for three fishermen whose boat has capsized in the River Axe. On the north Cornish coast, the lifeguards at Harlyn race to the rescue of a teenager caught out by a notorious rip current.

On the west coast of Scotland, the Oban crew dash across the water to the remote island of Kerrera to help an injured walker, and across the Irish Sea, the Kinsale crew have to act quickly to help a skipper who, while trying to single-handedly sail his yacht across the Atlantic, is drifting without power towards rocks.

On Ireland's north west coast, the crew at Bundoran race to the rescue of a teenage girl who has been swept out to sea by a rip current. In Portishead, north Somerset, a man has suffered serious chest injuries after falling 30 feet from a cliff and needs to be rushed to hospital. Across the Bristol Channel in Porthcawl, a missing dog sends the crew on a wild goose chase. And in the fishing town of Fraserburgh, on the north east coast of Scotland, the crew search for a local fisherman who's failed to return to harbour.

The vast majority of the RNLI's volunteer crew members don't come from a professional maritime background - so every day is a school day.

In Eastbourne, new recruit Chris is put through his paces when two casualties are cut off by the tide near Beachy Head. On the coast of south Wales, Penarth crew member Tom is called up for his first ever shout when a female paddleboarder is caught out by the tide.

In Fistral, north Cornwall, 22-year-old lifeguard Kai races to the rescue of a young surfer who's in danger of being smashed on the rocks. And in Arbroath, on Scotland's east coast, crew member Stuart is called out to his first ever dog rescue.

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 races to the rescue of a surfer caught in a notorious rip current. On the Northumberland coast, the Blyth crew face a frantic search for a dog that's been swept out by the tide. And in Burnham-in-Sea, in Somerset, reports of the crash landing of a hot air balloon lead the crew to launch on red alert.

In Swanage, Dorset, the crew race to the rescue of a diver whose life hangs in the balance. In Kinghorn, on the east coast of Scotland, a swimmer is swept out to sea and is at severe risk of hypothermia.

On Holywell beach in Newquay, a multi-agency operation kicks into gear when a walker suffers a serious injury, and in Dun Laoghaire, just south of Dublin, a fun day out goes badly wrong when the bride-to-be needs rescuing from her own hen party.

In Thurso, Scotland's most northerly mainland station, the crew race to the rescue of an ocean-going rower who's run into trouble 40 miles out to sea. In Dungeness, on the Kent coast, there are two very different shouts for the crew to deal with: an 11-year-old boy who has drifted out to sea on an inflatable dinghy and three people who are attempting to cross the English Channel at night. And in Newhaven, Sussex, a dog has fallen over 100 feet from the cliffs at Seaford.

In St Davids, on the south west coast of Wales, the crew have to deal with one of their biggest ever summer shouts: a group of 16 paddleboarders and kayakers who are blissfully unaware that they are in grave danger. In Appledore, Somerset, one of the shore crew - a keen amateur drone cameraman - captures all the drama from the sky as the lifeboat crew race to the rescue of an exhausted swimmer who's been swept out to sea.

In Margate, a visiting Dutch crew need emergency help after their yacht gets stuck on a notorious sandbank. Just south of Dublin, the Dun Laoghaire crew face an unusual challenge when they are called out to a hen party whose boat is caught in a lobster pot. And in Kinghorn, on Scotland's east coast, a simple call out to a paddleboarder isn't all that it seems.

In Baltimore, south west Ireland, the crew are called out to reports of an upturned catamaran over 70 miles out to sea. In Newhaven, on the Sussex coast, a grounded yacht in rolling seas presents a serious challenge. On the island of Anglesey, off north Wales, the crew at Moelfre respond to a 999 call about an injured fisherman. And on the west coast of Scotland, the Helensburgh crew race to the rescue of a capsized kayaker.

In Calshot, the RNLI crew are called out to a young man who has lost consciousness in a jet ski accident; when his heart stops, it's a race against time to bring him back to life.

In Whitby, North Yorkshire, the RNLI crew race to the rescue of two fossil hunters who are cut off by the tide - and soon find that they too are in grave danger.

When reports come in of a kayaker who has failed to make it back to shore - where his wife is watching on helplessly - the Larne crew race to the rescue.

In north Wales, the Conwy crew respond to reports of two people - including a young boy - who have been caught out by the tide and are now struggling to stay afloat.

In Plymouth, the RNLI crew race to the rescue of a fisherman who's fallen off his boat and is now adrift in the water, with a sea temperature of just eight degrees.

In Torbay, Devon, a yacht has sent out a mayday, meaning the lives of the six crew on board are in grave and imminent danger.

In Blackpool, the crew respond to reports of a teenager who has been swept out to sea within sight of the main beach.

On the north eastern tip of Scotland, the crew at Wick begin a frantic search to find a paddleboarder who has drifted a mile out to sea while her family wait on the shore.

The North Berwick crew race out to try and save a windsurfer battling the seas as he and they fight the gale-force winds of Storm Dennis on the east coast of Scotland.

On the Isle of Wight, the Bembridge crew face a race against time to save an old fishing trawler that's become trapped on a submarine barrier and is now taking on water.

Dermot O'Leary uncovers the story of the RNLI's heroic efforts in the Second World War, as its crews were called to serve in the most perilous of conditions, saving 6,376 lives.

In Dungeness, the crew are called out to reports of a small boat in the middle of the shipping lanes, and they discover that the casualty is the subject of a major manhunt.

In Porthcawl, a fisherman has been dragged lifeless out of the sea by bystanders. The lifeboat crew race to the beach and join the desperate attempts to resuscitate him.

In Castletownbere, crew member Donagh faces a baptism of fire on his first shout as the crew carry out a dramatic rescue of a fisherman who has suffered a suspected stroke.

In Queensferry, on the east coast of Scotland, an American visitor is caught out by the tide and is barely conscious when the RNLI crew drag him out of the water.

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.

In Humber, the crew must work closely together to pull off the dangerous medivac of a fisherman with a spinal injury. On the south west coast of Ireland, the Castletownbere crew race to the rescue of a fishing trawler that's run aground at nearby Dursey Island and is in danger of breaking up on the rocks.

In the north Devon village of Clovelly, the crew launch in severe weather to assist a yacht that has lost all power. And the Ilfracombe lifeboat launches when cliff walkers spot a boat capsizing - and a man in the freezing water.

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 knife edge. In Walmer, on the Kent coast, following reports of a major incident involving a small boat, the crew respond to another tasking; on arrival they are faced with mass casualties in the freezing water. In north Wales, the crew race to the rescue of a yacht that's lost all power and is drifting towards a wind farm, with a 75-year-old skipper at the helm - and his two young grandsons below deck. It's all hands on deck for the Plymouth crew as they wrestle with a small fishing boat drifting towards the rocks, with three casualties on board, two of them needing urgent medical attention. And the Aberystwyth crew must pull off the tricky extraction of a woman with a badly broken leg.

Whenever their pagers sound, the volunteers of the RNLI immediately find themselves under pressure.

In Port Isaac, on the north coast of Cornwall, the crew race to the rescue of a female casualty with a spinal injury; she's in a precarious position on a rockface, with the light fading. In Pembrokeshire, south west Wales, the Little & Broadhaven crew receive a mayday call about a capsized dinghy with three people in the water.

In Mudeford, on the Dorset coast, a search for a missing kayaker quickly escalates when it emerges that there are six more kayaks unaccounted for. And in Eyemouth, on the east coast of Scotland, the crew respond to an unusual rescue: a swan in the harbour that's become tangled in fishing line.