RNLI launches podcast to mark 25 years of lifeguarding
Richard Wright (second from left) with the RNLI lifeguards who saved him after he collapsed on Fistral Beach in Newquay
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has launched a five-episode podcast to mark 25 years since the introduction of its lifeguarding service. The series features conversations with lifeguards and people who have been rescued, while also looking at how the service has operated on beaches since 2001.
The podcast, titled We Are Lifeguards, launched at the end of March, coinciding with the return of lifeguards to beaches across the UK and the Channel Islands.
One of the stories featured is Richard Wright, who collapsed and lost consciousness on Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall.
Wright recalls: “It was a mild day, I had on my 5mm wetsuit, so I wasn’t cold, and I was helping my daughters catch a few waves in the lifeguarded area of the beach.
“After a while, I walked back up the beach to the dunes where we’d set up camp, happy with the session I’d had in the water. I chatted to my wife, Tracey, as I untangled myself from my wetsuit. Then I suddenly felt extraordinarily light-headed.”
Richard then fell unconscious and later learned that three of his arteries were blocked and he required a triple heart bypass.
“There are missing bits of the story for me,” he adds. “I came round on the beach, lying on my side in the sand, with a gaggle of people around me. I knew something had happened, but I didn’t know what exactly. In hospital, the physicians were very clear; the speed of the lifeguards had saved my life.”
Over the past 25 years, RNLI lifeguards have provided safety advice, first aid and rescue services on beaches.
During that period, they have carried out more than 48m preventative actions, attended more than 330,000 incidents and assisted more than 440,000 people across the UK and the Channel Islands.
Peter Dawes, general manager of lifeguard operations, says: “Since our lifeguarding service began in 2001, we’ve seen more people visit our beaches and enjoying the water.
“Our highly trained, capable and skilled lifeguards spend their time talking to people, sharing our safety advice and educating visitors about the dangers. As well as carrying out rescues and first aid.
“The launch of this podcast not only marks our 25th anniversary, but also the return of lifeguards to beaches ahead of what will be another busy summer. If you are heading to the coast, be sure to choose an RNLI lifeguarded beach.”
The podcast is available now via the RNLI website and major podcast platforms.
Information on lifeguarded beaches is also available on the RNLI website.
