0:00:02 > 0:00:05This programme contains some strong language.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08We're an island nation, drawn to the sea that surrounds us.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10For many, it's a playground.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12For others, it's where we earn our living.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16But the sea is unpredictable.
0:00:18 > 0:00:19It can change in an instant.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24And when accidents happen, they happen very fast.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25You're in cold water.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28You're not going to last long.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30There to save our lives is
0:00:30 > 0:00:33a volunteer army of 5,000 ordinary people...
0:00:34 > 0:00:39..ready to leave their jobs, their families and race to our rescue.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42One minute, you're just an ordinary person.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45The next minute, you're a lifeboat crew member.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50They're the last line of defence against the deadly water.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55I wouldn't even like to think what would have happened if there was no-one there.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59I was waiting for death, but a guardian angel came.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01To save someone's life is a privilege.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04You feel like you're doing the most important thing on earth.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Thank you.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Over 200 years, the volunteers of the RNLI
0:01:10 > 0:01:15have saved the lives of more than 140,000 people.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Brave lifeboatmen don't cry.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Rubbish. I do.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Treating every call-out as a matter of life and death.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27That's what we all turn up for - to save people's lives.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41It's Saturday morning in an out-of-season Blackpool,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44and holiday-makers are few and far between.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46PHONE BEEPS
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Shortly after 8am, the crew of volunteers at the lifeboat station
0:01:49 > 0:01:51receive a call for help.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04When the alarm is raised at this time of year, life expectancy
0:02:04 > 0:02:08for anyone struggling in the water can be measured in minutes.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20The woman has been spotted swimming out to sea fully clothed.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32In Blackpool, we do get our fair share of people
0:02:32 > 0:02:34who have got emotional and mental problems.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37If we're fortunate, we'll get there and we'll rescue them.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41If we're not fortunate, it could be days or weeks later when they're
0:02:41 > 0:02:46- recovered.- Today, the sea temperature is only 11 degrees.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56In water this cold, cramp and exhaustion set in rapidly.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Come on, mate.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22'She was quite a way out, but she wasn't in actual difficulty.'
0:03:30 > 0:03:32'She was quite happily just swimming around.'
0:03:32 > 0:03:35She wasn't trying to drown herself or anything like that.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49'She did not want to get into the boat,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51'she wanted to carry on swimming.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54'But we managed to talk her round.'
0:03:56 > 0:03:57That's all right, sweetie.
0:04:01 > 0:04:07Weld told her, you know, we can't take you to Jesus, but we can certainly take you back to shore.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11- Jesus!- 'A lot of people we get are difficult to communicate with at first.
0:04:12 > 0:04:13'That particular woman...'
0:04:15 > 0:04:19..the communication was there, but she wasn't necessarily listening to what we were saying to her.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Jesus! Jesus!
0:04:46 > 0:04:49- Thank you, good, aren't they? - LAUGHTER
0:04:49 > 0:04:52'That moment when she spotted the wellingtons...
0:04:54 > 0:04:57'..did snap her out of it, and then she could understand us fully.'
0:05:13 > 0:05:14Jesus.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18'I remember leaving the house.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21'The sea is only a five, ten minute walk from where I live.'
0:05:23 > 0:05:24But how I got there, I don't know.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Do you remember getting in?
0:05:31 > 0:05:35I actually don't. I remember being in, but I don't remember getting in.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- Give me a minute.- Give you a minute?
0:05:38 > 0:05:40All right?
0:05:40 > 0:05:42You tell us when you're ready.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46'I was always confident, always self assured,'
0:05:46 > 0:05:50and always regarded as quite a strong person.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55But I think going through a messy divorce, life's events,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59depression and anxiety, they can hit you at any time.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03You might think, "Oh, well, OK," but when they all come together...
0:06:05 > 0:06:08..there's only so much people can take.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11You know? We're only human.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14- It's all right, I can walk. - Are you going to stand up, then?
0:06:14 > 0:06:18- Yeah.- Come on, then.- I can walk. I can see the light.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Just swing your legs over. That's it. And the other one.
0:06:22 > 0:06:27'In the words of friends and family, there's the normal Lindi,'
0:06:27 > 0:06:30which is the Lindi today, and then there's another one.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32It's a bit like a Jekyll and Hyde.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35So I was probably, yeah,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38it was the other Lindi that day.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Our job is just to rescue people who are in distress.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Whether they be accidentally in distress,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49or whether it is their intent to put them in that position.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51What we are not there to do is judge people.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59You know where the sea and the sky meet each other?
0:06:59 > 0:07:03I think I just wanted to get over to that bit.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07I don't know if I thought heaven was over there or something.
0:07:07 > 0:07:08I don't know.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Since her rescue, Lindi has been receiving regular psychiatric treatment.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29If the RNLI crew hadn't come out and I'd gone a bit further,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31I might not have been so lucky.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34People have heroes that come, you know,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36knights in shining armour galloping on a horse.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Well, obviously my heroes came in a boat and wellies.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42SHE LAUGHS
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Nationwide, 5,000 yellow-booted volunteers
0:07:50 > 0:07:53are on standby right through the winter.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00At Abersoch in North Wales, there are 15 people on the crew.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04This is Fritz, he is the senior helm.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- He's been on the station about 25 years.- We won't mention it.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Really? And he's my fiance.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11LAUGHTER
0:08:11 > 0:08:14And you have to excuse me, I've got to answer my phone.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Excuse me. Hey, how you getting on?
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Is there a strong bond between you and your fellow crew members?
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Oh Christ, yeah. It's like a little family in the station.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Because we all live locally, we have known each other for years.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29We all get on together. It is good craic, really.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Fritz lives a few miles from the station with
0:08:34 > 0:08:39his springer spaniel puppy, Belle, Alissa, who he met through the RNLI,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41and his teenage children.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Ever since we were born, Dad has been part of the lifeboat,
0:08:45 > 0:08:50- so we just react to it as...- Normal. - ..normal, everyday activity, really.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52- Yeah.- You'll come back, it's all right.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Yeah. It'll be a good thing.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57- It'd be quite sad if I didn't come back.- Well, yeah.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03All RNLI volunteers must come to accept the risks they face.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07But it's during these winter months
0:09:07 > 0:09:09that the dangers are at their greatest.
0:09:10 > 0:09:11PHONE BEEPS
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Shortly after 11am, the alarm goes off.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21One of two spear fishermen fishing at the base of a nearby cliff
0:09:21 > 0:09:25has been dashed against the rocks by a wave and injured his head.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33We found out that it was two adults and one was not moving.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37So, immediately, it's the urgency. It picked up.
0:09:45 > 0:09:4927-year-old Andy has only just qualified as a helmsman.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52There was definitely a few nerves the first time in charge
0:09:52 > 0:09:54after passing out two days before.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57So I asked Fritz to come with me as a bit of experience.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04The casualties are stranded on a stretch of the coast
0:10:04 > 0:10:07notorious for its strong swells.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17As they approach the cliff, the winds picks up to a force seven.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40The crew spot the casualties on a rocky outcrop,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42just above the reach of the waves.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45They'd obviously clambered up the rocks themselves
0:10:45 > 0:10:49as the sea was getting higher. They had nowhere else to go,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51because it was an overhanging cliff above them.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57It's a bad place to be. Yeah.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02We decided to put the nose of the boat into the rocks.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06A pretty hairy situation to get the boat into.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42With the wind worsening, experienced helm Fritz takes over.
0:11:45 > 0:11:46If you don't time it right,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50you could be pushed with the swell on top of the rock and then you're
0:11:50 > 0:11:51stuck on them yourself.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Take it easy, mate.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55While Fritz is now able to retreat to a safe distance...
0:12:57 > 0:12:59..balanced on a narrow ledge,
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Andy and Paul must try to assess the casualties.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05One of them told me he'd banged his head
0:13:05 > 0:13:07and he had some sort of neck injury as well.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10I was quite wary that we needed to keep him still.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16The first thing we did was to try to put a neck brace on the casualty.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20The waves were building up, so it was getting quite tricky.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25I straddled the casualty, just to try to protect him
0:13:25 > 0:13:26so he didn't get washed away.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28- Were they scared?- Yeah.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30They were very scared.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Because the wind was picking up,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39the waves just kept on getting bigger and bigger.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41It just became wild out there, really.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45It was quite a frightening sea, really.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Given reports of the casualty's condition,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58the coastguard has scrambled a helicopter.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03But, as it arrives, the seas continue to deteriorate.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Paul spotted some large waves coming in
0:14:07 > 0:14:09and they were pretty much at our level.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16A big wave completely swamped us all.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18It all went dark.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21I grabbed one of the men's legs.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26I realised then that it was pulling me off the cliffs
0:14:26 > 0:14:30with the volume of water, so, if I didn't let go of the casualty,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32he would have come down the rocks with me.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35So I had to make a decision to let go.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37That's when I was washed off the cliffs.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Swept off the cliff, Paul is now at risk of being
0:14:43 > 0:14:46smashed against the rocks and dragged out to sea.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53When I was in the water, I could make out some shapes of the rocks,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55so I kind of swam towards them.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00I don't know where the energy came from, to be honest.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03I just managed to find a gap in between the waves.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05I just went for it.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12He managed to grab hold of the rock face and climb back to help Andy,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15who was securing the other two on the rock,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17just in case another wave came.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21It was quite frightening, really, for him, I'd say.
0:15:23 > 0:15:251-2-2 came, the helicopter came.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32And we asked them to winch all four of them off the rock face.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Did you ever think you were going to die?
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Possibly for a split second when I was in the water.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49I thought about my family.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53We'd just had a newborn baby girl,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and I just thought, "There's no way it's time to die yet."
0:15:58 > 0:16:01The last thing you want to do is lose one of your colleagues.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Especially as it was my decision to put him on the ledge.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Yeah, I don't really want to think about it, to be honest.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Thanks to the efforts of the crew,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18the two spear fishermen made it safely to hospital.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23- Are you a brave man, Paul? - I wouldn't call myself brave, no.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25I just like to help out.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Probably more scared doing this interview than I was doing that shout.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49'The recent gales were responsible for one of the worst tragedies
0:16:49 > 0:16:51'ever known off the Welsh coast.
0:16:51 > 0:16:57'The 7,000 tonne cargo ship Samtampa was driven ashore at Sker Point, near Porthcawl.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00'All 41 members of her crew lost their lives.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03'Heroic attempts at rescue were made by the Mumbles lifeboat,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07'and this gallant bid to save life resulted in a second tragedy,
0:17:07 > 0:17:11'the lifeboat capsized and her entire crew of eight were lost.'
0:17:15 > 0:17:18More than 400 lifeboat volunteers
0:17:18 > 0:17:21have died trying to rescue people at sea.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25And for the current crew at the Mumbles Lifeboat Station
0:17:25 > 0:17:30in Swansea Bay, the 1947 Samtampa tragedy still resonates.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34The eight crew of the lifeboats launched from a lifeboat station
0:17:34 > 0:17:36that was still in use until two years ago.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42And at times, that had not been far from my mind.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46I'd never lost that, because eight men went from that boat house
0:17:46 > 0:17:47and never came back.
0:17:47 > 0:17:52All the crew on board the lifeboat, as well as on the vessel,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55drowned in the oil from the Samtampa,
0:17:55 > 0:17:57as opposed to the sea itself.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01I would imagine that would be a terrible way to go.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08All eight men who died attempting to rescue the Samtampa crew
0:18:08 > 0:18:10are buried together in a cemetery overlooking the bay.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Obviously, things are a lot safer today,
0:18:15 > 0:18:21but the conditions that occurred on the 23rd of April, 1947,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24have occurred since then around South Wales,
0:18:24 > 0:18:29and have been more severe at times even. The risks are always there.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32The waves are always there, the wind is always there.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36You would hope that it wouldn't happen again,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38but there is always a potential of it, yes.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45In Mumbles, I believe we have lost the most lifeboat crew of any lifeboat station.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48We don't want to become casualties.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50We want to come home.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Today, there is a spell of winter sunshine,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59but the sea is still an icy five degrees.
0:18:59 > 0:19:00PHONE BEEPS
0:19:04 > 0:19:06An emergency call is coming in.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Slam the brakes.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11And the Mumbles crew launch their inshore boat.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29When you get a call to Three Cliffs,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31the first thing you think is, you know,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34"We'd better get there quick, because of how treacherous it is."
0:19:36 > 0:19:39The Bristol Channel has the second highest tidal range in the world.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44And on flat beaches like those around Three Cliffs,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46the tide comes in dangerously fast.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51When we get a call to that area, it is always fear the worst, really.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57This area has seen more than 40 incidents in the last five years.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59There are parts of the Bristol Channel
0:19:59 > 0:20:01where you would struggle to outrun the tide.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05Two people lost their lives
0:20:05 > 0:20:08in the waters around the bay just last summer.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12And the coastguard has scrambled a helicopter to the scene.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34- All right, how you doing? All right. - Just put the bow on, Rich.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43There she was on the rocks with the rising tide.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47And then behind her there was a sheer rock face of about,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49well, over 100 feet.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51No way up. No way down.
0:20:55 > 0:20:56She was stuck there, really.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Former nursery teacher Ann went to rescue her dogs after they became
0:21:02 > 0:21:04cut off by the incoming tide.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Now, I know that coast like the back of my hand,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15and I know you have to act very, very quickly.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18So I started to wade across to where the dogs were,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21and then it was waist high within half a minute.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26It was so fast.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31I know it comes in fast along that part of the coast, it's notorious,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33but this day it...
0:21:34 > 0:21:35..it outran me.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41And I had to step in to, it must've been a deep rock pool,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43because I was soon out of my depth.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47And then I had to swim to stay up, which wasn't easy,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51because all of my heavy winter clothes were saturated now.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58It's just like swimming with lead weights in your pocket.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08I was sinking.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11I simply couldn't do it any more.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15And I felt so calm.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17It was ridiculous, I felt so calm.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20And I looked at the dogs and I thought to myself, "Oh,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24"so this is how I end my days, drowning trying to save my dogs,"
0:22:24 > 0:22:28and I wasn't at all upset or worried.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41When I sank down, luckily my left foot touched on a rock,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and I managed then to push myself up with my left foot,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47and I scrambled up onto the rocks where the dogs were.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Would it be safer to do a dog first?
0:22:53 > 0:22:56- Hello.- Her name's Jenny.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Jenny, can you come to us?
0:22:58 > 0:23:01It's a frightening enough experience for a person who
0:23:01 > 0:23:05knows that help is at hand, but the dogs don't know we're there to help.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Can you pass me Jenny's lead?
0:23:11 > 0:23:13'We tried to get the dogs in first.'
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Jenny. Good girl, come on.
0:23:17 > 0:23:18Good girl.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22But they weren't moving from Ann's side.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26- OK, great.- Ann wasn't really going without the dogs...
0:23:26 > 0:23:27You got the boat, boys.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30..and the dogs certainly weren't going without Ann.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34So we decided on a change of plan.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Do you want to come down first and the dog will follow you, then?
0:23:37 > 0:23:40We would then bring Ann into the lifeboat and get Ann to
0:23:40 > 0:23:43call the dogs herself.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46There you are, Ann.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Nice and easy, Ann.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50You can stand on there.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52- That's it.- Jenny!- That's it.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55- Come on, Jenny!- Good girl.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59The Bernese Mountain dog, I thought, "This is going to be the tricky one."
0:24:02 > 0:24:04One dog in particular was a lot bigger than the other.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06I didn't fancy picking that one up.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07In you go.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Come on, Jess! Come on, Jess.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Come on, Jess!
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- That's it, good girl, good girl. - Hurray!
0:24:20 > 0:24:21DOG WHIMPERS
0:24:24 > 0:24:29We hear, time and time again, people entering to help animals and,
0:24:29 > 0:24:34unfortunately, the dog will get out safely, and the owner doesn't.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38And, er, like I say, year on year, you see this happening.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Well done, Rich, you are keeping her really dry there, Rich.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44The sea was determined to get me that day.
0:24:44 > 0:24:45There is no doubt about it.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47It was absolutely determined to get me.
0:24:47 > 0:24:52And if it wasn't for the RNLI, it would have.
0:24:52 > 0:24:53Hello, Jess. Hello.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00- Do you like dogs? - I do. I have always had a dog,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03and I've actually got an eight-week-old golden retriever puppy.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Would you risk your life for your dog?
0:25:10 > 0:25:12It would be easy to say,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14"No, I wouldn't", but...
0:25:15 > 0:25:17..knowing what she means to me...
0:25:19 > 0:25:22..you know, obviously, if I saw her in trouble,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25I'd want to try help her. It's human instinct, isn't it?
0:25:28 > 0:25:32We see a lot of animal rescues.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Dogs are the favourite, I think.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41There was even an incident of a dog which fell 300 foot down a cliff.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Hello. It's OK.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50So you're all nice and warm. Good girl.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52- You do see other farm animals. - SHEEP BLEATS
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Sheep, cows...
0:25:54 > 0:25:55COW MOOS
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Personally, I haven't rescued a deer.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12I've handled rescues of animals, from anything from a horse to a cow,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15to an iguana to a snake, dolphins.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Tried to get dolphins back into the sea.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Some people will be thinking,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28"Why are you risking your life to try and rescue a cow or something?"
0:26:28 > 0:26:31We do it, because we like saving lives.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34We are there to help all creatures great and small.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37Well done, boys.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47At the other end of Wales, on the island of Anglesey,
0:26:47 > 0:26:49is Moelfre Lifeboat Station.
0:26:49 > 0:26:50PHONE BEEPS
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Mid-afternoon, a call comes in from the coastguard.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Five people in the water.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59A group of people in a speedboat are in trouble two miles down the coast.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08The all-weather lifeboat is scrambled to Point Lynas.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15An area prone to an unusual and dangerous phenomenon
0:27:15 > 0:27:16called a tidal race.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23It's when you have a depth change from deep water to shallow water,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26that causes waves over the bank.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29When the incoming tide passes
0:27:29 > 0:27:31over a submerged reef or shelf in the seabed,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34it creates breaking waves and hazardous currents
0:27:34 > 0:27:38that can catch out even the most experienced sailors.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43The sea can hit you on the bow, and then it can hit you side-on as well.
0:27:44 > 0:27:50We go on exercise there quite often, because of the big waves there.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51They'll swamp you.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55There's many a people that have died out there.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00The coastguard helicopter has located the casualties
0:28:00 > 0:28:03washed into a cove, along with their waterlogged boat.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19The immediate concern was how long have they been in the water,
0:28:19 > 0:28:20what state they were in?
0:28:42 > 0:28:46Roger, we're sending two people back to you.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48One has been sick...
0:28:48 > 0:28:52As the crew begin to ferry the stricken sailors to the lifeboat,
0:28:52 > 0:28:56one of the casualties complains of shortness of breath.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21If somebody says they have got breathing difficulties,
0:29:21 > 0:29:23we have to take that very seriously.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26It's a, you know, post-rescue collapse, really.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33Once they see a rescuer, they go, "Oh, that's it, we've been saved,"
0:29:33 > 0:29:38and then everything hits home and the situation can then deteriorate.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45All of a sudden, I couldn't breathe. I couldn't see.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47My arms were tingling.
0:29:47 > 0:29:52I felt like my dry suit was suffocating me.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54She's in a bit shocked.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Halfway across, she started pulling frantically at the neck seal,
0:29:57 > 0:30:03so we gently prised the neoprene cover off her neck.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07We just slit it with a knife, just so she could feel a bit at ease.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22You've got to remember what they've been through.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25Most of them are probably thinking that they're dying.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27And they're going to die.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32You've just got to keep reassuring them that everything will be OK.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35I am right behind you, don't worry.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37With the casualty's condition worsening,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40a paramedic is winched down onto the lifeboat.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58You feel like you're desperately trying to breathe normally.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04But you can't do that, and you are gasping for air.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07I'm just going to get the oxygen.
0:31:07 > 0:31:12She was breathing really quickly, which you do in a panicked state.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Why am I not just calming down?
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Why am I not just giving myself a slap and saying, "Come on,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20"you're fine now. You're on the lifeboat, it's over.
0:31:20 > 0:31:21"It's done."
0:31:24 > 0:31:28Despite the team's efforts, Robyn's panic attack continues to escalate.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33Gas and air can help reduce anxiety and regulate the breathing.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45The more and more I panicked, and the more and more air I gasped for,
0:31:45 > 0:31:47the worse and worse the pain got.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52And it was...
0:31:52 > 0:31:54so, so bad.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00She had deteriorated and needed evacuating, really.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16SHE CRIES OUT IN PAIN
0:32:18 > 0:32:20I doubted very much she would even know where she was looking,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23because her eyes were just going everywhere.
0:32:24 > 0:32:29And you're trying to get her to focus at you, and just you and nothing else,
0:32:29 > 0:32:33and then she would be off again, looking somewhere else, and you're going, "No, look at me, look at me.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35"Everything will be OK."
0:32:43 > 0:32:47I wouldn't have cared if it was Joe Bloggs piloting that helicopter.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49SHE SCREAMS
0:32:49 > 0:32:52As long as it was getting me to hospital
0:32:52 > 0:32:55and getting me there quickly, I really couldn't have cared less.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01When we arrived at hospital,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04I can remember him turning round and smiling
0:33:04 > 0:33:07and saying that he hoped I'd be OK.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Really, I'm glad he didn't want to stop and chat,
0:33:12 > 0:33:16because I just wanted to go inside and be seen by the doctor.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Robyn had to spend a few hours in hospital being checked over...
0:33:22 > 0:33:25..but was able to return home to her family later that day.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39In Blackpool, despite strong winds blowing in from the Irish Sea,
0:33:39 > 0:33:42a few tourists are still braving the beach.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45PHONE BEEPS
0:33:47 > 0:33:50A call comes in from the coastguard, alerting the crew that someone's
0:33:50 > 0:33:53reported hearing shouts from the water near North Pier.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Three volunteers are scrambled to the rescue.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10At the helm is electrician Darren,
0:34:10 > 0:34:14who's been volunteering with the RNLI for more than 18 years.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24Today, a force seven wind is whipping up two to three metre swells.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31RADIO CHATTER
0:34:35 > 0:34:36RADIO CHATTER
0:34:44 > 0:34:46- Fucking hell!- Whoa!
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Helmsman Darren has not resurfaced.
0:35:15 > 0:35:20But in danger of being knocked unconscious by the upturned boat,
0:35:20 > 0:35:23there is little that crewmates Simon and Kyle can do to help him.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Every lifeboat crew carries a special red flare,
0:35:43 > 0:35:45only to be used when their own lives are at risk.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50When you see the red flare, you're in shit.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56I have never seen a crewman fire a red flare off up until then.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03As Sean and the crew of a second lifeboat race to their rescue,
0:36:03 > 0:36:05Kyle and Simon are being washed
0:36:05 > 0:36:07toward the metal structure of the pier.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07As we pulled up to North Pier,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09the crew were just coming under the pier.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11We threw them a lifeline and pulled them in.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22It was nice to get out of the sea.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27You don't get any idea what it's like to actually capsize a boat.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31Until the day that you do capsize a boat.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33- It's not like in training, is it? - No, nothing like training.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39But I was still more concerned about Darren and where he was.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41OVERLAPPING URGENT SHOUTING
0:38:01 > 0:38:05When we saw Darren and he gave us the thumbs up, we thought,
0:38:05 > 0:38:07thank God for that.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09So...we know he's fine,
0:38:09 > 0:38:13we just had to get the other boat to him as fast as possible.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19We weren't expecting to rescue our own.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21Is that the first time you've had to do that?
0:38:21 > 0:38:25I have never experienced it in my time in my service on the lifeboat,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28for 20 years and, hopefully, I won't experience it again.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35Darren had become tangled in some rope...
0:38:37 > 0:38:40..and was trapped underneath the boat
0:38:40 > 0:38:43until another rogue wave fortuitously set him free.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48Did you think you might die?
0:38:48 > 0:38:51That was definitely... I could have drowned, yes.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53He tried getting back onto the boat...
0:38:53 > 0:38:55'The first thought when I was under the boat is,
0:38:55 > 0:38:59'five or six minutes ago, I was watching Britain's Got Talent.'
0:38:59 > 0:39:02It's just one extreme to the other. Relaxed, comfort, family...
0:39:02 > 0:39:04under a boat, drowning, near death.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06HE LAUGHS
0:39:07 > 0:39:10I think it has brought us closer together,
0:39:10 > 0:39:14because you are more aware of what can actually go wrong.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18You are more cautious as well now.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24The crew came dangerously close to disaster
0:39:24 > 0:39:28and, on this occasion, the reports of someone in trouble in the water
0:39:28 > 0:39:30turned out to be a false alarm.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36- Why are you willing to risk your life?- I don't know.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40I have no idea. Someone said to me once, how much do you get paid?
0:39:40 > 0:39:43And I said, "We do it for nothing."
0:39:51 > 0:39:55Not only are the lifeboat crews giving up their time for free,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58but with many of them working full-time,
0:39:58 > 0:40:00they face the challenge of juggling
0:40:00 > 0:40:03their volunteering and their day jobs.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08In Abersoch, North Wales,
0:40:08 > 0:40:11volunteer Alissa works as an employment solicitor.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14The first couple of times I had shouts in the middle of the night
0:40:14 > 0:40:18and then came in, I arrived at work looking like I had been dragged through a bush,
0:40:18 > 0:40:23clutching coffee at one in the morning. Everyone is like, "What are you doing here?"
0:40:23 > 0:40:27'Next time just call and say this has happened.'
0:40:27 > 0:40:30He is really good about saying, "Just go and have some sleep."
0:40:30 > 0:40:35We want to attract people who have that spirit of wanting to help.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38We are extremely proud of Alissa.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41She's very passionate about law, very passionate about her clients,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45and certainly very passionate about helping people, so it's worked well.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54Two months ago, Alissa took on an extra responsibility,
0:40:54 > 0:40:56signing up for the flood rescue team.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00I love the RNLI so much,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03so, for me, the flood team seemed like the next natural step.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Something a bit different to what we do on the coast.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08OK, guys, here we are.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10The team was formed in the year 2000
0:41:10 > 0:41:13to help provide a rapid emergency response
0:41:13 > 0:41:15to incidents of serious flooding,
0:41:15 > 0:41:18which are becoming increasingly common.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Calum, Alissa,
0:41:20 > 0:41:22- take the Landy, with Guy?- Cool.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25Here are some of the scenes taken in Cumbria earlier on today.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27Severe flooding is taking place.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning,
0:41:30 > 0:41:34the highest tier of warning for the potentially very heavy rain.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37We have already seen over 100 millimetres of rain...
0:41:39 > 0:41:42It is shortly before Christmas,
0:41:42 > 0:41:45and the torrential rains have engulfed towns and villages
0:41:45 > 0:41:49across Cumbria in flood water, which is rising by the hour.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57The team head straight for the town of Kendal,
0:41:57 > 0:42:00where the nearby River Kent has broken its banks.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02'All roads around Keswick are blocked
0:42:02 > 0:42:06'and badly affected by large areas of surface water.'
0:42:06 > 0:42:09When I got there, I was speechless, really.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13To see the level of the water, and the speed it was moving at.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16It was nothing like I had ever experienced before.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19You can almost see it rising before your eyes, and it is still raining.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22You think, this is never going to stop.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26- Do you worry about Alissa? - Yeah, I do worry a lot about her.
0:42:26 > 0:42:31There is an aspect of "What if?" you know, with the floods.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Everybody happy?
0:42:34 > 0:42:37The volunteers need to begin a house-to-house search.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42But every step is fraught with dangers.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46- Everybody hold on together.- Yeah.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50We never know what is in front of us.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53If the water doesn't take your feet from under you,
0:42:53 > 0:42:54then the next log or the next bin,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57or the next car that drifts downriver, will.
0:42:59 > 0:43:00Manholes are the worst.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02Manholes will lift under the pressure of water
0:43:02 > 0:43:05and that will just leave a big, gaping hole in the floor
0:43:05 > 0:43:07and it will actually pull you in.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09How many people are in with you?
0:43:12 > 0:43:15- Hello, mate. You all right? - Stay there.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18The crew are mid search
0:43:18 > 0:43:21when news comes in that a pregnant woman and her family
0:43:21 > 0:43:25are stranded in an isolated bungalow on the outskirts of town.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30A family of six trapped in their house,
0:43:30 > 0:43:32and the floodwater is only set to get worse.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34Have you got some life jackets?
0:43:34 > 0:43:38The bungalow is situated at the bottom of a gully
0:43:38 > 0:43:42and the only access route has become a torrent of flood water.
0:43:42 > 0:43:47The water was too fast-flowing, so our boats were effectively useless.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49The one big piece of kit that we have got
0:43:49 > 0:43:52for going in the water and we can't use it.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55What is your name, mate?
0:43:55 > 0:43:57- Blake.- Nice to meet you, Blake.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59'A local farmer came up to us and said,'
0:43:59 > 0:44:01"I can drive you there."
0:44:02 > 0:44:06It's not conventional, it's not orthodox, but we will give it a go.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10The volunteers attach a rescue sled to the back of the tractor.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18THe guy was hanging out the back window holding it,
0:44:18 > 0:44:20because it would not fit in the cab.
0:44:20 > 0:44:21To reach the bungalow,
0:44:21 > 0:44:25they need to navigate down 300 metres of submerged lane.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29Until the headlights of the tractor came round,
0:44:29 > 0:44:31you just couldn't picture it.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38Once it was illuminated, we looked and thought,
0:44:38 > 0:44:40"Wow, this is pretty bad."
0:44:43 > 0:44:46I was driving the tractor and it was very,
0:44:46 > 0:44:48very fast-flowing water down the drive.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51It was like a funnel, basically. It was sucking all the water in.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55There's a lot of air in tractor tyres,
0:44:55 > 0:44:58and the tractor could have been carried away by the current,
0:44:58 > 0:44:59it was that strong.
0:45:08 > 0:45:09Thanks to the farmer's help,
0:45:09 > 0:45:13the volunteers have made it to the family's home.
0:45:16 > 0:45:17Let's go, then.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36'It was cold in the house. It was dark.'
0:45:36 > 0:45:38There was a lot of noise with the running water.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40It wasn't a pleasant place to be.
0:45:51 > 0:45:53The pregnant woman and her partner
0:45:53 > 0:45:57have had to climb onto the kitchen worktops to escape the rising water.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02What is your name, Grandad?
0:46:02 > 0:46:07Also in the house are the man's grandparents, both in their 70s.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14And in a bedroom, two little boys aged five and three.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18'The poor kids were stuck on the top bunk of their bunk beds'
0:46:18 > 0:46:20and it was eight inches below their beds,
0:46:20 > 0:46:21so they didn't have long at all.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23You all right, mate?
0:46:23 > 0:46:25INDISTINCT
0:46:25 > 0:46:27They had been in there a very, very long time
0:46:27 > 0:46:30with no electricity, no sanitation.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32They'd even thought about breaking through the ceiling to see
0:46:32 > 0:46:35if they can get up to the roof - it was that desperate.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38The crew needs to ferry the casualties to the tractor
0:46:38 > 0:46:40so they can be driven to higher ground.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45But there is only room to take two people at a time.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54We want to get all of these people out now.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57We don't want to be prioritising people,
0:46:57 > 0:46:59saying, "You have to wait, you are coming with us now."
0:46:59 > 0:47:01But we had no other option.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08They begin a relay to extract the family,
0:47:08 > 0:47:10starting with the youngest child.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12Hi, Jacob. How are you doing?
0:47:12 > 0:47:13And his grandmother.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32They must now wait for the tractor
0:47:32 > 0:47:34to drop off the first casualties and return.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40But all around them, the water level is continuing to rise.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50With each trip, we can see that the water has risen inches again.
0:47:50 > 0:47:56The situation is developing, it is developing quickly, and it's getting worse.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58My legs were quickly getting tired,
0:47:58 > 0:48:00and I was wading through much deeper water.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06Next, they take the pregnant woman
0:48:06 > 0:48:08and the five-year-old boy.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18I am coming with you. I have got you.
0:48:24 > 0:48:25OK, see you in a minute.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31You can feel the tractor vibrating,
0:48:31 > 0:48:34you can feel the water pushing this machine that weighs tons and tons.
0:48:34 > 0:48:35You can feel it really moving.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38We're saying to the tractor driver, "You know this machine,
0:48:38 > 0:48:41"you tell us when it isn't safe any more and you can't come back."
0:48:41 > 0:48:43Despite the dangers,
0:48:43 > 0:48:47the farmer decides to risk another trip to rescue the grandad,
0:48:47 > 0:48:50the father-to-be...
0:48:52 > 0:48:53..and the family's two Labradors.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56Good girl, good girl.
0:48:56 > 0:49:00But the crew must still wait for their turn to be driven to safety.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35Are you a good tractor driver?
0:49:35 > 0:49:36HE CHUCKLES
0:49:38 > 0:49:40I can drive a tractor.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42I have done it for a lot of years.
0:49:44 > 0:49:48It doesn't matter if I'm a crap tractor driver or a good tractor driver, I got the family out.
0:49:48 > 0:49:50That was the important thing.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56To see somebody's house torn apart, to see the whole family in distress,
0:49:56 > 0:49:58is quite difficult. Home is everything.
0:49:58 > 0:50:02It is your family, it is your kids, but it's how you make your home,
0:50:02 > 0:50:04with all your personal belongings.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06You put pictures of your family, your loved ones.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10And once that's taken away from you, it is all gone.
0:50:10 > 0:50:14You can't get those pictures back and it's got to be heartbreaking.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24More than 45,000 homes were affected by the Cumbrian floods.
0:50:32 > 0:50:33Hello?
0:50:35 > 0:50:40In total, the flood rescue team came to the aid of more than 400 people.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51OK, next.
0:50:51 > 0:50:52'We mark the property'
0:50:52 > 0:50:56to show ourselves and other agencies that the house has been cleared.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08You start going down the flooded street and it's an eerie silence.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11There's no kids on the streets, no cars passing by.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14In fact, we are going over the tops of cars in our boats.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24'If people stay in their properties,'
0:51:24 > 0:51:28they're not able to call for help. Their phones are down, their mobile batteries go flat.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31Communication in general is very, very difficult.
0:51:35 > 0:51:40'We are talking to people as we evacuate them and they had just finished decorating their houses,'
0:51:40 > 0:51:45or another family had just moved in thinking they would be in their new house before Christmas.
0:51:45 > 0:51:50'When you see Christmas presents and photo albums floating out of houses, it is upsetting.'
0:51:50 > 0:51:55Some of the most personal things that they have just gone.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59This is definitely coming up. When we left, you could see the kerb.
0:51:59 > 0:52:00It has completely gone now.
0:52:00 > 0:52:06'I was brought up by the seaside. You know how the tide comes in.'
0:52:06 > 0:52:10It slowly comes in, and the next wave is a bit nearer than the last.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14That's what was like looking down the street.
0:52:14 > 0:52:18It was just ebbing up, not down.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20Just coming slowly towards you.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24You didn't know where it was going to stop.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27Some people didn't want to leave their properties,
0:52:27 > 0:52:30and they don't want to be defeated by the flood water.
0:52:30 > 0:52:34I wouldn't want to leave my home and all my belongings if I was in that situation.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42Sometimes you've just got to say, "Listen, guys,
0:52:42 > 0:52:44"we need you to come out of your house.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47"We don't want to come back in six hours' time and find that you're
0:52:47 > 0:52:50"now trapped upstairs and we can't get to you."
0:52:50 > 0:52:53There is no water, they can't use their loos, there's no food,
0:52:53 > 0:52:57there is no heating, and perhaps the thought of sleeping in a sports hall
0:52:57 > 0:52:59isn't the most appealing.
0:53:00 > 0:53:05- There was a lot of, shall we say, helping each other.- Yeah.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07There was a lady making tea in the morning.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09People were bringing cups of tea.
0:53:09 > 0:53:14She said, "Sometimes my electricity works and sometimes it doesn't."
0:53:14 > 0:53:15'OK?'
0:53:15 > 0:53:19'I think people like community more than they let on.'
0:53:19 > 0:53:22Watch the step.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25'When we are doing evacuations, there are people who didn't know their neighbours.'
0:53:25 > 0:53:30But you'd think they were close friends within five minutes of being in the same rescue boat together.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32'When adversity hits'
0:53:32 > 0:53:35I think then people realise how important community is.
0:53:35 > 0:53:36Give us the bags.
0:53:36 > 0:53:41'And that actually, deep down, it is something that perhaps they crave as well.'
0:53:41 > 0:53:43Cheers.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49'There is a togetherness when you are being threatened.'
0:53:49 > 0:53:55You come together, and you're all facing the same serious problem.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03I think it has affected me.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06I think I have taken something positive from it as well.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10You add things to your own life with it then,
0:54:10 > 0:54:13and hug your own family that bit tighter
0:54:13 > 0:54:17and realise how lucky you are.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25People tend to think nobody will do anything for nothing these days,
0:54:25 > 0:54:29and the RNLI just goes to show that people will still volunteer.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34People want to help.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36I think, if it was not for people volunteering,
0:54:36 > 0:54:39you'd have a hard job getting people to go to sea for money.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49We are an island nation. There is water all the way around us.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52There is always going to be somebody in trouble.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55So, hopefully, there will always be a lifeboat service to save them.
0:54:56 > 0:54:57Whoa!
0:55:11 > 0:55:14Lindi, the lady who was pulled from the water after she swam out to sea,
0:55:14 > 0:55:18is doing well and hasn't had a relapse for over a year.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24I had a diagnosis and it was an adjustment disorder.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27It is something that basically you can get through.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33I think I am in a really good place, because I'm able to talk about it.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36I think I am getting my confidence back up and, you know,
0:55:36 > 0:55:38making plans for the future.
0:55:39 > 0:55:44Robyn is still struggling to get over the experience of being caught in the tidal race.
0:55:46 > 0:55:52It has definitely changed the way I think I deal with situations.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55I am certainly a lot more nervous.
0:55:57 > 0:56:03I hope in the future I can rebuild the confidence that I once had,
0:56:03 > 0:56:07so that I can take Alfie on boats,
0:56:07 > 0:56:10and he can love, as I did as a child,
0:56:10 > 0:56:13the feeling of being in water.
0:56:13 > 0:56:17Ann and the dogs suffered no lasting ill effects,
0:56:17 > 0:56:19and still enjoy a walk on the beach.
0:56:20 > 0:56:25I did think the very next day, when I woke up safely in my bed,
0:56:25 > 0:56:29how I would have felt if I had not tried to save my dogs
0:56:29 > 0:56:34and they had drowned, just because I had not attempted to save them.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36Any dog owner would be able to relate to it.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38There's no way I could have left them there.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42You love them so dearly, they put all their trust in you.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47The volunteers arranged a special Christmas present for the two young boys
0:56:47 > 0:56:50they rescued from the floodwaters.
0:56:50 > 0:56:52I've got one for you there, young man.
0:56:52 > 0:56:57- BOY:- I was scared and I was thinking that we would have to swim out.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59Even I can't swim with no armbands.
0:56:59 > 0:57:03I can only swim five metres with no armbands.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05What do you want to be when you grow up?
0:57:08 > 0:57:09A lifeboat person.