Plymouth’s volunteer lifeboat crew will be in the national spotlight this week as they feature in the brand-new episode of BBC Two’s hit series Saving Lives at Sea.
The programme airs on Thursday 25 September at 8pm, showcasing one of the station’s most dramatic real-life rescues. Now in its tenth season, Saving Lives at Sea follows the work of RNLI volunteers across the UK and Ireland, from stranded kayakers to sinking boats and rip current rescues.
The Plymouth Chronicle has reported extensively on the work of Plymouth RNLI, from dramatic sea rescues to community fundraising. You can read more of our RNLI coverage here.
Plymouth rescue in focus
This week’s episode highlights a Mayday call from May last year when a diver was pulled unconscious from the sea around a mile south of Plymouth Breakwater.
Both of Plymouth RNLI’s lifeboats were launched immediately. Volunteer crew provided emergency casualty care before support arrived from the all-weather lifeboat, a Dutch warship doctor, and a Coastguard Rescue Helicopter paramedic.
Credit:
RNLI/John Baldry
The diver was safely evacuated to Millbay Marina, where they were handed over to the Devon Air Ambulance Critical Care Team and South Western Ambulance Service. Thanks to the rapid response, the casualty went on to make a full recovery.
‘A very dynamic situation’
Coxswain Neil Humphrey, who features in the episode, said:
“It was a challenging service due to the reported condition of the casualty, the close proximity to the station and the sheer number of vessels in the area at the time, making for a very dynamic situation.
However, with our training, teamwork, and cooperation with partnering agencies, we were able to successfully evacuate the casualty and hand them over to South Western Ambulance Service for onward care, where the casualty made a full recovery.”
RNLI impact nationwide
Over 30 RNLI lifeboat stations are featured in this 10-part series, alongside lifeguards who patrol some of the UK’s busiest beaches.
In 2024 alone:
- 8,259 people were rescued by RNLI lifeboat crews
- 352 lives were saved
- RNLI lifeguards aided 17,068 people and saved 85 lives
Saving Lives at Sea series 10 started on Thursday 31 July at 8pm on BBC Two and iPlayer
