Brighton’s RNLI stars on TV

The volunteer crew of the Brighton branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) have just taken centre stage in the latest instalment of the BBC’s Saving Lives at Sea, broadcast on BBC Two and iPlayer last week. The episode highlighted the work of lifeboat stations around the country and included dramatic footage of Brighton’s inshore lifeboat launching into challenging seas.

In the sequence filmed off the Sussex coast, the Brighton team were tasked with going to the aid of a sailing yacht that had run into difficulties. Viewers saw the orange Atlantic 85 lifeboat pounding through heavy swell as the crew closed in on the vessel, securing a line to steady it and bringing its skipper safely back towards shore.

Ahead of transmission, Brighton Lifeboat Station posted on social media (inc. Facebook) urging supporters not to miss the broadcast, with a photograph of four of its crew standing beneath the Palace Pier. The post underlined the pride local volunteers felt in being featured: ‘Tonight’s the night! Don’t miss our crew on Saving Lives at Sea, 8pm, BBC Two.’

The series, now in its tenth year, is produced in partnership with the RNLI to showcase the lifesaving efforts of lifeboat stations across the UK and Ireland. For the Brighton team, the primetime exposure was a chance to demonstrate not just the risks they face but also the importance of community support in keeping the station operational.

Saving Lives at Sea, Series 10, Episode 9