Weston-super-Mare RNLI to feature in popular tv series Saving Lives at Sea

Now in its tenth season, Saving Lives at Sea showcases the courage of RNLI lifesavers throughout the UK and Ireland as they respond to everything from sinking ships to tidal cut-offs, and from kayakers in distress to people caught in rip currents, just seconds away from drowning.

Alongside other rescue stories from around the coastlines of the UK and Ireland, this week’s episode sees Weston RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew involved in a rescue that took place in April 2024, when they attended an incident involving two people who had become stuck trying to cross the condemned Birnbeck Pier.

In what was a very tense few hours, the team worked with Avon Fire & Rescue Service, who were coordinating the response, and other emergency services to assist in guiding the pair back along the pier to Birnbeck Island where they had been when they got cut off by the fast moving incoming tide. They were then picked up by the D class lifeboat before being transferred into the Atlantic class lifeboat and brought safely to shore.

Chris Cox volunteer lifeboat crew for Weston RNLI said: ‘

‘It was a one of those incidents where a lot could have gone wrong very quickly, and viewers will be able to relive the tension alongside us as we standby ready to react quickly, while the pair are carefully guided off the pier, and relief as we secure them on the Island and bring them safely back to Weston.

‘A number of the incidents we respond to involve people attempting to access Birnbeck Island and Pier, but it is incredibly dangerous. The Severn Estuary has the highest tidal range in Europe and third highest in the world and as times and heights vary throughout the month, we are often faced with people who are stranded on the Island and requiring help.

‘Attempting to return via the causeway is extremely dangerous due to the fast flowing tidal current, and as viewers will see, attempting to cross the pier itself is fraught with danger. At the moment the walkway is broken with rotten planks and there is the risk of falling from the pier or being hit by falling debris.’

With more than 30 different lifeboat stations featured, alongside beach lifeguards, the latest 10-part Saving Lives at Sea series is packed full of heart-stopping rescues and emotional interviews from the lifesavers and those they rescue.

Chris continues; ‘The series showcases our work and allows viewers to get up close and see rescues through our eyes and those of the people we rescue. We are delighted to feature in such a long-running and respected series alongside our fellow lifesavers from across the RNLI’

In 2024, RNLI lifeboat crews around the UK and Ireland rescued 8,259 people, saving 352 lives, while the charity’s lifeguards aided 17,068 people and saved 85 lives on some of the UK’s busiest beaches.

Notes to Editors

· See attached images of Weston-super-Mare RNLI lifeboat crew involved in the rescue taken during filming (left to right Chris Cox, Simon Johnson and Matt Lyons) credit Olly Rose (Blast! Films)

· Saving Lives at Sea series 10 started on Thursday 31 July at 8pm on BBC Two and iPlayer

· The series is made for the BBC by Blast! Films.

· Click this link for more information about Saving Lives at Sea

RNLI media contacts

For more information please contact Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Communications Lead, [email protected] Holly Turner [email protected] or the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 or email [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

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