Saving Lives at Sea: when is the documentary on BBC 2, what is the RNLI and what’s the show about?

BBC Two’s docu-series, Saving Lives at Sea, takes a look at these missions and how RNLI volunteers and workers save people when they get into difficulty.

Residents of the UK will be all too aware of the safety missions taking place in our waters every day.

Hundreds of thousands of migrants take on treacherous journeys across the English channel, but what about the daily missions we don’t see on the news?

As Britain is surrounded by water, every day there are rescue missions carried out by the RNLI, with the aim of saving lives.

So, where can you watch ‘Saving Lives at Sea’ and who are the RNLI? This is what you need to know.

What is ‘Saving Lives at Sea’ about?

Saving Lives at Sea follows the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) on journeys to save civilians stuck in trouble at sea.

The documentary shows the various different dilemmas the charity faces when called to save someone, sometimes saving numerous lives in treacherous conditions.

The show also highlights the issues and changeable nature of the sea and how water which looks calm and peaceful can quickly become life threateningly dangerous.

Who are the RNLI?

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution covers many different aspects of water safety, from lifeboats to lifeguards, flood control and worldwide support in water-related emergencies.

The charity has over 430 lifeboats positioned in coastal areas in the UK, used to reach people in situations.

According to the RNLI, its lifeboats are divided into two categories: all-weather lifeboats and inshore lifeboats. The different classes of lifeboat within these categories mean we can reach people in all kinds of situations and locations.

The type of lifeboat a station has depends on geographical features, the kind of rescues the station is involved in and the cover provided by neighbouring lifeboat stations.

When is ‘Saving Lives at Sea’ on TV?

The sixth series of ‘Saving Lives at Sea’ will begin on 24 August at 8pm on BBC Two. Nine subsequent episodes will air weekly on BBC Two on Tuesdays at 8pm.

Previous series are available on BBC iPlayer and series six episodes will be made available in due course.

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