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.

Although the lifeboat crews are on call all year round, it is in the summer months when they are at their busiest. As holidaymakers flock to the coast, the lifeboat crews and lifeguard teams are on high alert. When the suns out, the sea cliffs in Dorset are a draw for climbers from all over the country, but when one falls over 40 feet onto an inaccessible rocky ledge, the lifeboat crew have to work out how to get her to essential medical aid.

In Cornwall, another extreme sports enthusiast needs saving when a paraglider misjudges his launch and ends up crashing into the sea, while the Redcar lifeboat crew search for a man who has drifted over a mile offshore in a small toy dinghy. Show less