RNLI, Met Office & HM Coastguard Join Forces On New Summer Safety Videos

UK national weather service, the Met Office, Her Majesty’s (HM) Coastguard and the RNLI have released new summer safety videos ahead of the busy season.

Watch the full video HERE

With summer fast approaching and beaches expected to be busy, the Met Office, RNLI and HM Coastguard have pulled together their expertise to create two newly released videos to help share essential water safety advice.

Starring Lead Lifeguard Supervisor, Henry Irvine, and seasonal lifeguards Abi Hoppins and Dom Brown, the videos focus on key safety messaging from the RNLI and HM Coastguard whilst giving expert insight on understanding tide times, wind directions and weather forecasts.

Meteorologist and former BBC weather presenter, Alex Deakin, joined the lifeguard team on Exmouth beach. He got a feel for a day in the life of a RNLI lifeguard whilst sharing his expert advice on the weather.

Covering key safety topics from visiting a lifeguarded beach to always wearing a buoyancy aid whilst out on the water, the two videos showcase the essential work of all three organisations involved.

The first video in the series will give essential safety advice for those taking part in paddle sports. Next week, the second video in the series aimed at beach visitors will be released.

Samantha Hughes, RNLI Water Safety Partner, said: ‘Working with the Met Office and HM Coastguard has helped us to create some really exciting and in-depth content that covers every aspect of beach safety.
‘This summer, we know that more people will be heading to our beautiful coastlines so sharing and creating content like this is incredibly important in helping to keep people safe.’
Joanne McLellan, Head of Media and Campaigns at the Met Office, said: ‘It has been great working with the RNLI and HM Coastguard to help inform the public about beach safety.
This year, with more people likely to stay closer to home for their holidays, it’s really important that people know how to stay safe at the beach so that everyone can enjoy the summer.’

Help keep your friends and family safe this summer by remembering to:

Visit a lifeguarded beach
Swim between the red and yellow flags
Call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard in an emergency
Protect and keep an eye on your family
If you get into trouble Float to Live – lie on your back and relax, resisting the urge to thrash about.

Check out the RNLI, HM Coastguard and Met Office YouTube channels for the newly released beach safety video on paddleboarding and beach activity safety. The second video for general beach visitors will be released next week.

If you would like to share content from the RNLI, HM Coastguard or the Met Office, please use #WeatherReady and #RespectTheWater.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity 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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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 142,700 lives.