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A group of five RNLI lifesavers are standing in a line, all looking at the camera. They all have a neutral expression on their faces. Some of them are wearing all-weather crew kit. One of them is wearing inshore crew kit. One of them is wearing a red RNLI lifeguard fleece. The sea is behind them, and the sky is cloudy.

How we operate

The RNLI saves lives through a combination of our lifeboat and lifeguard services, and water safety advice.

  • Lifeboats: The RNLI provides a 24/7/365 rescue service in the UK and Ireland through a strategically located fleet of lifeboats.
  • Lifeguards: RNLI lifeguards patrol beaches in the UK and Channel Islands through a seasonal lifeguard service.
  • Water Safety: The RNLI works with like-mind organisations in the UK, Ireland and internationally to raise awareness of drowning prevention and deliver water safety initiatives which help to keep people safe in and around water.

The problem: Why we need to save more lives

Despite our best efforts, people around our coastline still drown. Around 138 people* die by accident in UK and Irish coastal waters each year. And global drowning is an epidemic that requires international attention.

The Drowning Chain

The circumstances under which people drown, such as where they are and what they’re doing, vary enormously. However, research has highlighted a common set of risk factors that lead to people drowning or being seriously injured in or around water. 

Taking action to break each link of the chain reduces the risk of drowning. When drowning is recognised as an issue, when places are less dangerous, when people behave safely, and when people are supervised and rescued if needed, fewer will drown. 

Even with the fastest lifeboats and the best trained crews and lifeguards, we won’t get to everybody in time if we rely on rescue alone. It is only by breaking the links at every stage of the Drowning Chain that we can truly hope to save every one.

The Drowning Chain, developed from initial research carried out by the World Health Organization (WHO). Each stage of the chain represents a risk factor that often leads to people drowning or being seriously injured in or around water. There are four stages of the chain: preventing drowning is not a priority; places and equipment are not safe, and people are isolated; people cannot, or do not, behave safely; and people cannot look after, or save, themselves.

*UK average (115 people) from the Water Incident Database (WAID) 2020-22. Republic of Ireland pro-rated average (23) from Water Safety Ireland (WSI) 2020-22.