RNLI Lifeguards, beach safety news

Record breaking commitment – Welsh RNLI crews spend more time than ever saving lives

Danielle Rush

The latest figures from the RNLI charity reveal that lifeboat crews across Wales spent 6,877 hours responding to emergency incidents in 2011 – the most ever. The figure has been gradually increasing since the RNLI started calculating crew time spent at sea in 2007...

RNLI statistics for Northern Ireland lifeboats and lifeguards show 373 calls answered in 2011

Niamh Stephenson

2011 saw RNLI lifeboats in Northern Ireland launch 259 times to a variety of callouts. 201 people were rescued over the course of the year by volunteer lifeboat crews who spent over 1,726 hours at sea, while the newly introduced RNLI beach lifeguards on the North coast recorded 114 incidents and helped 123 people...

Second busiest year on record for RNLI lifeboats

Roselyne Crowther

2011 saw RNLI lifeboats launch 8,905 times around the coast of the UK and Ireland, rescuing 7,976 people. Last year was the second busiest for launches according to RNLI records...

Success! Our Stations shout for RNLI SOS Day 2012 in the South West

Amy Caldwell

RNLI lifeboat stations across the south west are celebrating in the success of the charity’s SOS Day on Friday 27 January, as crew, lifeguards and supporters raised vital funds towards the RNLI’s lifejacket campaign, which aims to fund the provision of new, state of the art lifejackets at all 35 lifeboat stations in the region.
It was an early start for the five volunteer lifeboat crew from Penlee in Cornwall, as they set off from Plymouth RNLI lifeboat station to tackle the 125 miles back to their lifeboat station in Newlyn...

RNLI lifeguards saving lives in Cameroon

Niamh Stephenson

While RNLI beach lifeguards take a break from life-saving on the North coast of Northern Ireland, RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor Tim Doran, originally from Armagh and living in Portstewart, along with his colleague Ross Macleod, RNLI Beach Safety Programme Manager, were busy teaching others how to save lives thousands of miles away in Cameroon.
The two lifeguards were part of a joint international project between the RNLI and the Swimming Teachers Association (STA)...

RNLI lifeguards beat the Tamar for SOS

Eleri Davies

Wales and West RNLI lifeguards have successfully beaten the RNLI’s SOS Challenge in aid of raising money for the charity’s national fundraising day. The charity’s lifeguard team cycled 25 miles in 23 minutes 50 seconds – beating the Tamar class lifeboat in travelling the same distance by 70 seconds...

RNLI co-ordinates National Beach Lifeguard Qualification for potential lifesavers in Sefton

Alison Levett

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is offering people in the north west an opportunity to qualify to work as lifesavers on Sefton’s beaches this summer.
Anyone over the age of 16 who has a real interest in becoming a beach lifeguard can use this opportunity to gain an RLSS UK National Beach Lifeguard Qualification, which is a pre-requisite qualification when applying to the charity for a job as a seasonal lifeguard...

Amy Caldwell

Cornwall’s RNLI lifeguards will be cleaning cars between 10am and 4pm at the Hayle Retail Park on Friday 27 January to raise funds for the charity’s biggest fundraiser, SOS Day 2012*.
The Soap Our Saloons car wash has become an annual event, which in previous years has raised over £1,000 with lifeguards washing cars for a donation...

RNAS Culdrose crew member tackles treadmill marathon on RNLI SOS Day

Amy Caldwell

Paul Smith, a member of 771 Search and Rescue Squadron based at RNAS Culdrose, is planning to run a marathon on a treadmill inside the Helston branch of Sainsburys on Friday 27 January 2012, in support of the RNLI’s SOS Day*.
Paul, also known as ‘Smudger’, is 37 and lives in Falmouth with his wife and two children...

RNLI lifeguards dip in the ocean for SOS Day 2012

Amy Caldwell

Dorset’s RNLI lifeguards be stripping off for their traditional sea swim in aid of the charity’s annual SOS Day 2012 on Friday 27 January.
The ice cold Swim in Our Speedos dip, which has become an annual event in the lifeguards calendar, will take place at midday on Boscombe beach where the RNLI lifeguards provide safety cover 365 days a year...