Your RNLI Summer 2025

YOUR

RNLI.org | Summer 2025

SA FER A LL ROUND Your safety is our priority in a changing world

PLUS:

WAVE POWER

Drama on Cromer seafront

RECORD BREAKERS

Surprising stats and fascinating facts

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Welcome

Welcome to your summer issue of Your RNLI. With temperatures rising on land and sea, this is the perfect time to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.

Not surprisingly, your lifesavers are expecting things to get a lot busier than normal. Thanks to your kind donations, crews and lifeguards will be keeping people safe around our coasts all summer and beyond. And by looking out for our Float to Live and other seasonal water safety messages, you’ll be helping to keep yourself and others safe too.

In the heat of the moment, it can be difficult to know what to do if the unexpected happens and you’re caught off guard. If it hadn’t been for the skill of Cromer’s lifeboat crew, the story you’ll read about on page 6 could have had a very different ending. On page 9, you’ll find out how RNLI volunteers like Bob are helping to turn the tide by asking people to think about safety before they enter the water. And on page 10, you’ll discover some record-breaking, and surprising, RNLI facts.

WHAT YOUR LIFESAVERS ACHIEVED IN 2024

9,000+

LIFEBOAT LAUNCHES

437 LIVES SAVED

Rob Westcott Your RNLI Team Email: your_rnli@rnli.org.uk

WE CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT PEOPLE LIKE YOU: How would you like to hear from us? We’re so

grateful for the support you have shown for the RNLI – it all helps save lives. But if you would rather not hear from us, or would like to change how we contact you, please get in touch.

Just call 0300 300 9918 (from the UK), 01 511 9837 (from Ireland), or +44 1202 663234 (from any other country) on weekdays, 8am–6pm, go to RNLI.org/preferences or write to our Supporter Experience Team, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, BH15 1HZ. Cover photo: Guides and Rangers visited RNLI College in Poole, Dorset, to learn about water safety and the work of the RNLI. Credit: RNLI/Tom Dale

© 2025 RNLI

J25981275

69 PEOPLE AIDED ON AVERAGE, EVERY DAY

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SPACE RACE Kids of all ages bounced across the beach to raise money for RNLI lifesavers in Trearddur Bay’s annual Space Hopper Race on New Year’s Day. ‘It’s heartwarming to witness the community coming together like this to have fun while supporting such an important cause,’ says Volunteer Pauline Hardman. A sentiment echoed by local resident and race founder Heron Maj: ‘The laughter, the joy, and knowing that every bounce helps our lifeboat station stay operational, is incredible. This is what community spirit is all about.’

TRAINING WITHOUT BORDERS The vast majority of crew training takes place close to home, but occasionally RNLI volunteers have a chance to train alongside counterparts in other lifesaving organisations.

Volunteers like Falmouth RNLI Helm Tamara Bookes, who spent a week in Finland on an International Crew Exchange visit hosted by the Finnish Lifeboat Institution.

The exchange gave Tamara a rare opportunity to network and share best practice with volunteers from other European countries, including Norway, Sweden, Iceland, the Netherlands and France. Together, they took part in practical lifesaving activities, on and off the water.

Tamara swaps her yellow RNLI kit (left) for kit supplied by the Finnish Lifeboat Institution

‘It was an exhilarating and inspiring experience. They were a wonderful bunch of people and the volunteer spirit was the common thing between us all. A lot of the learning and training was about running through scenarios, sometimes without any briefing, to see how we would coordinate and operate. Between us, we just all fell into a role.

It was amazing how it all came together.’

Photos: Jaakko Heikkila, RNLI/(Simon Culliford, Andy Hodgson)

Did you know you can receive some RNLI updates by email? You’ll be helping with sustainability and reducing admin costs, making your support go even further. Sign up for RNLI emails at RNLI.org/MyEmail and you’ll get RNLI news delivered straight to your inbox.

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RNLI TO THE RESCUE With you by their side, our lifesavers can carry on keeping your loved ones safe, wherever they live

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Tearful reunion

WELLS | 29 DECEMBER 2024

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Crew members are trained to think on their feet, like the time the Wells RNLI crew went to help Olive, a beloved Airedale Terrier, who was lying cold and lifeless on the water’s edge. Crew Member and Nurse Practitioner Simon says: ‘I’ve resuscitated people before, but never a dog. I worked on the principle of doing the same thing that we would do for a child.’ After CPR, thankfully, Olive made a full recovery before being reunited with her family.

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Cold and frightened

NEWHAVEN | 16 JANUARY 2025

The quick actions of two surfers, including calling 999 and asking for the Coastguard, helped save the day for three students trapped beneath cliffs by the tide.

It was also Crew Member Steve Hopson’s first rescue.

‘We kept checking on the casualties, to make sure that they were comfortable. Once back at the station, we got them something to eat and helped warm them up.’

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Two shouts in 1 day

OBAN | 24 JANUARY 2025

The all-weather lifeboat launched into Storm Éowyn following reports of a lifejacket seen floating in Oban Bay. Battling heavy swells, the crew found the semiinflated lifejacket and confirmed that no one was in the water. On their way back, they were tasked again.

A fishing boat had broken its moorings, so they stood by until the fishing crew had secured it and made it safely back ashore.

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Sailing dinghy capsizes

KILRUSH | 16 FEBRUARY 2025 Volunteer lifeboat crew saved the lives of two people after their sailing dinghy capsized south of Hog Island in the Shannon Estuary.

At around 6pm, Kilrush RNLI was alerted

by Valentia Coast Guard that a sailing dinghy had overturned, leaving two people in the water. With fading daylight, cold water and challenging seas, every second counted.

Within 8 minutes of being paged, the lifeboat crew had launched and were on their way.

Kilrush lifeboat volunteers began an intensive search. Despite the demanding sea conditions, they quickly retrieved the people from the water. As one of them was showing signs of hypothermia, the crew immediately returned to the lifeboat station, where they continued casualty care until an ambulance arrived to take both casualties to hospital in Limerick.

Kilrush RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Shawna Johnson says: ‘This was a frightening experience for the casualties. We are delighted to hear they have made a full recovery and we wish them well.’

‘The lifesaving work our volunteers do is essential, often challenging, and sometimes dangerous, but they are always prepared to drop everything and respond in a moment’s notice’ Shawna Johnson, Kilrush RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager

Photos (pages 4–5): Nicholas Leach, RNLI/(Jess Curtis, Charlie Glynn, Newhaven, Leonie Woolf)

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TO HOPE ACTUAL RESCUE FOOTAGE

When his beloved dog dived over a sea wall, Curtis was desperate. But in trying to rescue Rex, Curtis soon found himself in danger too Caught in crashing waves The stone walls of Cromer’s prom lead you along a stunning seafront. At low tide, you can walk down the steps and enjoy the beach.

But at high tide, the powerful waves of the North Sea crash against the sea wall.

It was almost high tide when Curtis took his dog Rex on an early morning walk along the promenade. They were visiting the area and Curtis let Rex off the lead to stretch his legs. Then suddenly, before Curtis could react,

Rex jumped over the sea wall. He fell 4m into the turbulent water below.

Curtis panicked. A passer-by told him to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard, which he did. But then, desperate to save his dog, he climbed down the sea wall after Rex. As he reached him, Curtis was swept off his feet by an incoming swell. He and Rex were being thrown around by the waves, and they were both dangerously close to the wall and large rocks.

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CURTIS AND HIS DOG REX

A wake-up call ‘My pager woke me up around 7am,’ says Cromer RNLI Mechanic and Lifeboat Crew Member Tom Stops. ‘I’d been in a deep sleep. I jumped up, a bit disorientated. Then, after throwing on some clothes and saying a quick goodbye to my family, I was out the door.’

The first information Tom received on reaching the lifeboat station was that there was a dog in the water. As he was kitting up, he found out there was a person in the water too. ‘Their lives were at risk,’ Tom remembers. ‘I knew we had to reach them as quickly as possible.’

Holding on While the lifeboat crew prepared to launch, Coxswain Paul Watling hurried along the prom in torrential rain to where Curtis and Rex were.

He threw a lifering over the wall.

Curtis grabbed it, put Rex on top of it, and clung on.

Paul held onto the lifering line to prevent Curtis and Rex from being dragged under the pier, where there was more danger.

Curtis was becoming increasingly cold and frightened. Paul shouted to him from the top

of the sea wall, encouraging him to hang on, telling him the lifeboat was on its way.

‘ It focuses the mind when you know that someone and their dog are in imminent danger’ TOM STOPS, MECHANIC, CROMER RNLI

When the D class arrived, Helm Kevin Johnson quickly assessed the situation. The sea state was bad enough as it was, but ongoing construction work to strengthen sea defences was just adding to the problem, meaning even more confused seas. Navigating the lifeboat through this would be difficult.

‘I could see the man and his dog,’ says Tom. ‘They were being battered by the waves.

Fortunately, he’d held onto the lifering. Kevin got us as close as possible, and we threw a throw bag, which Curtis grabbed, and we pulled them both aboard. As Kevin carefully navigated us back past the rocks, we checked them over.

They were cold, but OK. continued ...

TOP DOG TIPS ‘If your dog gets into difficulty at the coast, call 999/112 and ask for the coastguard. As a pet owner myself, I understand why Curtis went in.

But please wait for us – we’d have launched just for Rex,’ Tom says. ‘Instead, try moving to a safe place and calling them. They can often find their own way out.’

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‘Rex was exceptionally well behaved.

He just sat and stared at me with complete shock on his face, as though he were thinking: “What on earth is happening?”’

‘It’s what we’re here for’ ‘Curtis was apologetic, but we reassured him: “It’s what we’re here for!” And I’m so glad we were there. The outcome could’ve been very different.’

Your generous support helps lifeboat volunteers like Tom save lives. ‘Without kind supporters like you, there wouldn’t be an RNLI service,’ he says. ‘You help give us everything we need – from equipment like our throw bag, to vital training. ■

A SPECIAL THANK YOU Curtis and Rex later returned to Cromer to thank the lifeboat volunteers who saved them.

Curtis took on a 20-mile sponsored swim, raising £925 for the RNLI. He’s also been sharing his story to help others stay safe at the coast.

Helm Kevin Johnson says: ‘It was really special for us to see Curtis and Rex again. We’re very thankful to Curtis for his fundraiser, which will help us continue saving lives.’

Curtis (second from right) and Rex thank the volunteers who saved them (Tom Stops, Kevin Johnson and Craig Rogers)

Photos (pages 6–8): RNLI/(Charis Jefferson, Clare Stagg), Curtis Johnson, Andy Siddall

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Storm Force, the RNLI Club for kids, is an exciting and educational membership that teaches under 9s all about water safety.

FIND OUT MORE AT

RNLI.ORG/FUTURE

Lifesaving conversations Friday 25 July is World Drowning Prevention Day. This summer, RNLI water safety volunteers and lifeguards are helping to reduce drowning by talking to people, young and not so young, about water safety Bob, who is a water safety adviser at Bridlington RNLI, says: ‘I’ve had a hankering to get involved with the RNLI since I was 6 years old. I started off as a fundraiser, then volunteer crew member.

In 2019, I became a water safety officer.

You need to have the desire and passion for saving lives at sea, for getting the message across.

‘It’s not about talking down to people, bombarding them or being confrontational.

It’s about being conversational and finding the right angle to get through.

For example, if I’m talking with a kayaker, I might ask if they have a sticker on the bottom of their craft with their contact details.

‘We have set materials that have been crafted precisely and we’re given creative licence in how we present them, so we’re not just repeating safety messages parrot fashion in a dull way. We can personalise the message with our own stories and things we relate to, but the materials are there for us to use.’

Photos: Jaye Mackay, RNLI/(Harrison Bates, Mike Milner)

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1 Chris Lewis LONGEST-SERVING LIFEGUARD

2 Grace Darling

RNLI Lifeguard Chris Lewis has been keeping people safe on Bournemouth Beach for more than 59 years and holds the Guinness World Record for longest-serving lifeguard in the world. He’s been involved in lifesaving since the age of 16 – both as a volunteer and professional lifeguard – and has carried out hundreds of rescues and thousands of patrols.

At 75 years old, Chris describes lifeguarding as ‘the best job in the world’ and still smashes the RNLI’s stringent fitness tests every year, seeing them as an excuse to stay fit and healthy.

FIRST WOMAN TO RECEIVE AN RNLI MEDAL

In September 1838, Grace Darling battled violent seas in a tiny rowing boat to save nine people stranded on rocks.

They were among the 60 crew and passengers onboard the steamship Forfarshire when it sank. Grace received several awards for the rescue, including a Silver Medal for Gallantry from the RNLI – making her the first woman to ever receive an RNLI medal and securing her place in RNLI history.

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The RNLI has amassed a treasure trove of extraordinary stories and remarkable achievements during its long history of lifesaving.

Here are five of our favourite record-breaking facts

Lifeboat Saturday, 3 Manchester FIRST STREET COLLECTION

On 10 October 1891, Charles and Marion Macara gathered a team of supporters to organise a Lifeboat Saturday in the centre of Manchester. Thousands of people flocked to the city’s streets to catch a glimpse of something they had never seen before: a lifeboat and its brave volunteer crew.

Lifeboat Saturdays changed the face of community fundraising forever.

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MOST LIVES SAVED IN A SINGLE RNLI MISSION

The rescue of Suevic in 1907 holds the record for the largest number of people saved in a single RNLI operation. On 17 March, the 12-tonne steamship ran aground on a rocky reef off Lizard Point in Cornwall. Sixty RNLI volunteers from Cadgwith, Coverack, The Lizard and Porthleven rowed back and forth in a violent gale for 16 hours to rescue the 456 passengers and crew. Not a single life was lost. Six of the rescuers, including two Suevic crew members, were awarded RNLI Silver Medals for their heroic actions.

5 Tower, River Thames

BUSIEST RNLI LIFEBOAT STATION

When Tower Lifeboat Station was established in 2002, the crew never imagined they would become the busiest of the RNLI’s 238 stations – and the first to reach a milestone 10,000 launches (now more than 11,000). Rapid currents, chilly water temperatures and constant heavy traffic make the Thames highly dangerous. Anyone in its waters must be reached in minutes, so a swift response is essential. It’s why the crew are on duty 24/7 and operate the RNLI’s fastest craft: the 40-knot E class lifeboat. That’s two record-breaking facts in one!

Photos: RNLI Grace Darling Museum, RNLI/(Laura Lewis, Nathan Williams)

If you’re struggling in the water ...

Tilt your head back with ears submerged

Relax and move your hands to help you stay afloat

Remember it. Share it.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a charity registered in England and Wales (209603), Scotland (SC037736), the Republic of Ireland (CHY 2678 and 20003326), the Bailiwick of Jersey (14), the Isle of Man (1308 and 006329F), the Bailiwick of Guernsey and Alderney, of West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1HZ

I/YR/06/25

Photo: RNLI