0:00:02 > 0:00:04This programme contains some strong language.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07We're an island nation, drawn to the sea that surrounds us.
0:00:07 > 0:00:08For many, it's a playground.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12For others, it's where we earn our living.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16But the sea's unpredictable.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Brace!
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 > 0:00:29SIREN WAILS There to save our lives
0:00:29 > 0:00:33is a 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 > 0:00:44the next minute you're a lifeboat crew member.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51They're the last line of defence against the deadly water.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Wouldn't even like to think what would happen
0:00:53 > 0:00:54if there was no-one there.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57I was waiting for death,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59but 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 > 0:01:08Over 200 years,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10the volunteers of the RNLI
0:01:10 > 0:01:14have saved the lives of more than 140,000 people.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Brave lifeboatmen don't cry.
0:01:17 > 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.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Blackpool is one of Britain's most popular seaside resorts.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44More than ten million tourists visit every year...
0:01:47 > 0:01:50..making it one of the busiest lifeboat stations in the country.
0:01:52 > 0:01:53What are you guys doing right now?
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Technically,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58it is surveying the area, making sure no-one's in danger.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Unofficially, it's sitting here waiting for a call-out.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05In the height of summer,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07they don't have to wait too long.
0:02:08 > 0:02:09ALARM BEEPING
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Mid-afternoon, the alarm goes off.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20The coastguard has received a call
0:02:20 > 0:02:24saying a drunk man has been seen jumping off one of the town's piers.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Within minutes of the call coming in...
0:02:31 > 0:02:32Ready?
0:02:32 > 0:02:34..two crew members are already launching.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41We get a lot of drink-related incidents.
0:02:41 > 0:02:42They come to Blackpool,
0:02:42 > 0:02:43they go out on the drink,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45and then decide they want to swim the Irish Sea.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46ENGINES ROAR
0:02:48 > 0:02:50They think they're invincible.
0:02:50 > 0:02:51It doesn't always have a good outcome.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Nationally, the men and women of the RNLI
0:02:56 > 0:02:59spend nearly half a million hours a year at sea,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01helping those in peril.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Sean's been volunteering for more than 20 years.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08I'm a big believer that you work cos you have to,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10you volunteer cos you want to.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14And if you didn't want to do the job, you wouldn't answer the pager.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Today, even though it's summer,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26the sea temperature in Blackpool is only 15 degrees.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29It's not the Caribbean Sea or anything like that.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33Can be quite chilly.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Someone jumps off the pier, it's going to take their breath away.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40And that's when you get the cold water shock.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42That's when things can go wrong.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54- He's in the middle?- Yeah, yeah.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55Hello?!
0:03:55 > 0:03:56MAN SHOUTS
0:04:02 > 0:04:03'We couldn't see anything initially.'
0:04:03 > 0:04:07'And we were naturally looking on the surface of the water.'
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Oh, right, hello, what are you doing up there?
0:04:10 > 0:04:11HE CHUCKLES
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Colin's been a volunteer here for 21 years.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23'We do get our fair amount of people
0:04:23 > 0:04:26'that have probably had a bit too much to drink.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28'And you just have to deal with them like any other person.'
0:04:28 > 0:04:29You got him?
0:04:33 > 0:04:36I'd say, 95% of the people that we go to
0:04:36 > 0:04:38don't realise the danger they've got themselves into.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52And all he was concerned about was, I want my jacket,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54let's go and get my jacket.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56'Don't worry about that, let's get you off.'
0:04:57 > 0:04:59What did you do, jump off the pier?
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Ask them, mate, they'll know.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03- Did he jump off the pier?- Yeah.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06What possessed you to do that?
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Working in Blackpool, nothing's going to surprise you,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11picking some people up.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Some people, just because now they've called us out
0:05:21 > 0:05:24and they're thinking, what was an initial prank,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27have tried to then think, I'd better make out that I am injured
0:05:27 > 0:05:29and there's something wrong.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38But you get wise to that.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- He was right up inside the pier, in the middle.- What was he, swimming?
0:05:41 > 0:05:43He jumped off the pier, the bloody idiot.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Some of our family members think, you must be stupid,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50trying to save someone who's drunk.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52I don't think of it like that.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53I was just doing what I do, you know.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59We'd just sat down in restaurant, we were just about to order drinks,
0:05:59 > 0:06:00when it all went pear-shaped.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04And now I've got to ring the wife up and see where she is,
0:06:04 > 0:06:05again.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10At any given time across Britain...
0:06:11 > 0:06:15..there are 5,000 people carrying RNLI pagers.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22I'm sure a lot of people think that we just sit around the boat edge
0:06:22 > 0:06:24drinking cups of tea until the pager goes off.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Everybody at the station is a volunteer,
0:06:27 > 0:06:28most of us have to earn a living.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33These men and women must be prepared to drop whatever they're doing
0:06:33 > 0:06:34at a moment's notice.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Forget everything, lifeboat's happening.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41I've run out of Asda, the security think we're shoplifting,
0:06:41 > 0:06:42cos we're running out the shop.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47People turn up in various states of dress and undress.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48SIRENS
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Some of them might be working nights and turn up in their pyjamas
0:06:51 > 0:06:53or their onesie. And I'll turn up in a three-piece suit.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56We're about the most random collection of people
0:06:56 > 0:06:59that you'll ever find, but... it works.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10For the people of Newquay on the Cornish coast,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12lifeboating is in the blood.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15It's been that way for over 150 years.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19My great uncle was the cox in the old rowing and sailing lifeboat
0:07:19 > 0:07:20in Newquay back in the 1900s.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24His son is one of the helmsman.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26It's a real family tradition.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28And now Shaunna's following on as another generation.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Just 18, Geoff's granddaughter Shaunna has decided to
0:07:35 > 0:07:37follow in his footsteps.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Round that way.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42She's been spending the past few months learning the ropes.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Then the tighter that pulls, the tighter it'll grip.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47I've always wanted to join, ever since I was like five.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Every time the pager went off
0:07:49 > 0:07:51I used to run down the harbour with grandad.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Used to have to learn to tie it behind your back.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54Come on, then.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- Right, go for it. - Come on, old man.
0:07:58 > 0:07:59'I think it is in my blood.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02'If you cut me open, there might be a lot of saltwater in there,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04'cos I've swallowed quite a bit in my time.'
0:08:05 > 0:08:07THEY LAUGH
0:08:12 > 0:08:14With its long beaches and rolling waves,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Newquay is a mecca for experienced surfers
0:08:17 > 0:08:19and body boarders,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21and those wanting to give it a go.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27But the big swells that make the area good for surfing
0:08:27 > 0:08:28don't come without their dangers.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33They also create strong, fast-flowing rip currents...
0:08:34 > 0:08:37..that can drag unsuspecting swimmers out to sea.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42We get quite a lot of riptides, particularly on the north coast
0:08:42 > 0:08:43where we get a very high tidal range.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45The waves wash in on the beach,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48and the water has to go back out to sea somewhere.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50And it tends to go back out to sea
0:08:50 > 0:08:51in very, very narrow channels.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56The lifeguards are experienced, they can recognise the riptides.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57A lot of people can't.
0:08:57 > 0:08:58DOG BARKS
0:09:01 > 0:09:02ALARM WAILS
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Shortly before 7pm...
0:09:06 > 0:09:07..the alarm sounds.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14Shaunna's spent months practising the drill.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16This is the first time she's getting to do it for real.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20It's a good feeling to think, oh, this is me,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23I can actually try and show people what I can do.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41If she's going to do it, she's got to stand on her own feet.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44You can't protect people, and say well,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46you don't go on this shout because it might be a nasty one.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Two teenagers have been spotted being dragged out to sea
0:09:56 > 0:09:58by a strong rip current.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08It's a bit like trying to walk against a conveyor belt.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11You carry on swimming as if you're trying to get back to the shore...
0:10:11 > 0:10:14The reality is you're getting further and further out.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17You'll get tired, and eventually you'll just slip under the water
0:10:17 > 0:10:18and drown.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22We've seen people in flat, calm conditions
0:10:22 > 0:10:25disappear in a riptide...
0:10:25 > 0:10:26never to be seen again.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31People don't actually realise how easy it is to drown.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34We get a lot of holiday-makers that come down and they think,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36I've just seen someone surf, I want to give it a go.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39But sometimes they underestimate the power of the sea.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41Falmouth Coastguard, Newquay ILB.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44We're about halfway through, can see Porth beach.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48A report comes in that a teenage boy has made it to safety...
0:10:49 > 0:10:51..but his little sister is still missing.
0:10:53 > 0:10:54I knew that if she was panicking,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56she'd obviously get tired even more,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58and the sea would drag her under,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00and carry on taking her further out.
0:11:01 > 0:11:02ENGINE ROARS
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Seven minutes after the alarm was raised,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14the crew finally spot the girl.
0:11:14 > 0:11:15Hold on!
0:11:16 > 0:11:18CAMERAWOMAN GROANS
0:11:23 > 0:11:26She's been pulled out of the rip by an experienced surfer...
0:11:27 > 0:11:29..but she's struggling to breathe.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Have you inhaled a lot of water?
0:11:38 > 0:11:39- Yeah.- OK.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Newquay 3, Newquay RB, we've got one casualty,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46requires a check over, has inhaled quite a lot of saltwater, over.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Despite being rescued,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50the crew know that the young girl's condition
0:11:50 > 0:11:52could still quickly deteriorate.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54You don't feel dizzy or anything?
0:11:55 > 0:11:56You DO feel dizzy.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01'You can ingest quite a bit of water and feel OK at the time.'
0:12:01 > 0:12:03But there's a thing called secondary drowning,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06and if you get saltwater into your lungs, even very small amounts,
0:12:06 > 0:12:11as much as the following day it can have quite a serious impact on you.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Newquay 3, Newquay RB, yeah, could you bring the oxygen down?
0:12:15 > 0:12:16The casualty is feeling dizzy, over.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Roger, no problem, over.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22'Salt in your lungs actually draws the fluid into your lungs
0:12:22 > 0:12:24'and it's called secondary drowning
0:12:24 > 0:12:26'because that's exactly what you're doing.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29'If you've ingested a lot of water,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31'the advice is always seek medical advice.'
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Either go and see your local doctor,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35or go to the A&E and get it checked out,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37because it can be fatal.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42A paramedic has been called to take her to hospital.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47- PARAMEDIC:- How are you doing? Have you been in difficulty?- Yeah.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50OK, let's get you ashore and have a proper look at you. Are you cold?
0:12:50 > 0:12:53The experience of being caught in a rip
0:12:53 > 0:12:55is not one that's easy to forget.
0:12:55 > 0:12:56Falmouth, Newquay, over.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58OK, let's get you in and have a look at your chest, then, yeah?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00I'm a bit scared of the sea, now.
0:13:00 > 0:13:01SHE LAUGHS
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Just take your time, there.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07We were all like messing around on the surfboards
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and jumping in like the waves and that,
0:13:10 > 0:13:11cos they were big waves.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14And then I could see my brother struggling,
0:13:14 > 0:13:15like he was getting tired.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17I went with the surfboard,
0:13:17 > 0:13:18and I put him on the surfboard.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21And then I tried grabbing the front of the surfboard
0:13:21 > 0:13:25to swim back to shore. But this wave came over our heads.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30When you're under the wave,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33you don't think anything, you just panic.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37And cos me and my brother are so close,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40I was just thinking that I can't lose my brother.
0:13:42 > 0:13:43Because he's older than me,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45I think he was a bit embarrassed
0:13:45 > 0:13:48that his 14-year-old sister had to help him.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51He was really thankful and everything.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54But then like a week later, he was like...
0:13:56 > 0:13:57..I don't want to talk about it.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59SHE LAUGHS
0:13:59 > 0:14:00All right guys, lovely job.
0:14:00 > 0:14:01OK, thank you.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07You just realise how fragile life is, really,
0:14:07 > 0:14:08and how fragile you are as a person.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11And we're not all invincible.
0:14:11 > 0:14:12Even though the kids think they are.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16I hope it's made them realise they're not...
0:14:16 > 0:14:18so they'll be more careful.
0:14:22 > 0:14:23All right?
0:14:23 > 0:14:26As the crew return to shore,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Shaunna has passed her first test.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32She's really keen and it's nice to get the first one out the way,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34I think. And then you feel part of the crew then
0:14:34 > 0:14:36because you've actually done it, so...
0:14:38 > 0:14:40'I grew up looking at him as a role model.'
0:14:40 > 0:14:43- Made it. - First one!
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Cos I used to look up to him and think, oh, he's saving people.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48- Up to about here?- Yeah!
0:14:48 > 0:14:51And now I get to think that's me and I've learnt all my ways
0:14:51 > 0:14:52from my grandad.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54- See you in a bit.- See you in a bit.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56'She's really a very good part of the team.'
0:14:56 > 0:14:58I think her own favourite saying is
0:14:58 > 0:15:00part of the ship, part of the crew.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13It's not just Britain's seaside resorts the RNLI protect.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Volunteers cover even the most far-flung areas
0:15:18 > 0:15:20of the UK's 11,000 miles of coastline...
0:15:21 > 0:15:23..manning more than 200 stations.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27Let's see.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30So we hope to have a peaceful day.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33- This is what we're hoping for, a peaceful Friday.- Yep.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35No dramas.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Station manager John and mechanic Peter
0:15:38 > 0:15:40are keeping watch in Oban,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43a fishing village on the west coast of Scotland.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Until you're in the job yourself...
0:15:47 > 0:15:50people don't realise just how tiring it is.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53If you're always wanting to be away somewhere or going to the pub,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55or whatever, it's not the job for you.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57It's absolutely not.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Yep, that's the reality.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05While the coastline around Scotland looks picturesque,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08it is actually some of the most treacherous in Europe.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14There's the same below the water as there is above
0:16:14 > 0:16:16and you see the mountains and all the rest of its,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18they're exactly the same reversed.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20You have to know where you are.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23On the south coast of England,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25it tends to be mud and sand.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Here it tends to be rock,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30and if you hit something,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32then it tends to be...sore.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47With average sea temperatures of only ten degrees...
0:16:49 > 0:16:51..life expectancy for anyone
0:16:51 > 0:16:53unlucky enough to end up in the water
0:16:53 > 0:16:54is under an hour.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05To do battle with the elements,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Oban has a £1,500,000 all-weather lifeboat,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11built to withstand the worst the sea can throw at it.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15When it's rough and wet...
0:17:15 > 0:17:16HE LAUGHS
0:17:18 > 0:17:21The weather conditions are part of the job.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23It's part of what you sign up for
0:17:23 > 0:17:25and you know what you're coming into when you do it.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28It's not for everyone.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32There are 25 volunteers on the Oban crew.
0:17:35 > 0:17:36At just 18,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Andrew is the station's newest,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40and by far its youngest recruit.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43At first it was a bit strange.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Everyone else feels so much older than you.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47And you do still feel like a bit of a kid.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49My boy.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51But now I've got a little bit of experience.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53It doesn't make too much of a difference.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Nights out, I can stay out a lot longer than some of them.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02You're in the water, you can't do anything for yourself...
0:18:02 > 0:18:03Yeah, you're unconscious.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Well, unconscious, yeah.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07- CAMERAWOMAN:- Does everyone have to go in the water at some point?
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Oh, yes. Have you done it?
0:18:09 > 0:18:12- Absolutely, and you're next.- You're next!
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Andrew's has been on the crew a year.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17But as the rookie,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19he's drawn the short straw on this training exercise.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Ignore the scream when I hit the water.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26Man overboard.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30You don't look too unconscious to me.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Sometimes you can say it's a little bit daunting,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38but it doesn't scare you per se.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41'Most of the time you sort of realise you're surrounded by guys'
0:18:41 > 0:18:44who are all looking out for each other, and all know what they're doing
0:18:44 > 0:18:46and are well-trained to deal with anything.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50You're just trying to be, like, manly and tough.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53Good, well done.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56- Thanks John.- No worries.
0:18:56 > 0:18:57LAUGHTER
0:18:59 > 0:19:02The Met office on behalf of the Maritime and coastguard agency,
0:19:02 > 0:19:07Malin, southeasterly 5-7, perhaps gale 8 later in south-west.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08Showers then thunder...
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Whenever a storm is forecast at sea,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13all the volunteers sleep lightly in their beds.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16South, 4 or 5, becoming variable, 3 or 4.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18BLEEPING
0:19:18 > 0:19:20At 4:00am, the pagers go off.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24It doesn't matter how tired you are,
0:19:24 > 0:19:28the minute you hear the pager go off you're just bolt upright and awake
0:19:28 > 0:19:31and getting dressed and out the door before you know what's happening.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40If you hear taking on water,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42suddenly the whole atmosphere in the room just changes
0:19:42 > 0:19:45and everyone's a lot more serious.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11In the midst of the storm,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15the fishing vessel has accidentally run into an outcrop of rock.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19It's punctured the boat hull and water is flooding in.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Did he say it was in behind the island, was he?
0:20:22 > 0:20:24This side of the island?
0:20:24 > 0:20:27It's not a great bit of water round about there,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30just a lot of headlands, lots of tide.
0:20:30 > 0:20:31Yeah, this is a classic.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33You've done a few from here, John.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42The stricken vessel is taking on water all the time
0:20:42 > 0:20:45and the lifeboat crew know it could sink at any minute.
0:20:49 > 0:20:50Boats only go so fast.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53You're just wishing that you could, like,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55double the speed because you can sense
0:20:55 > 0:20:56things are deteriorating.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59It's difficult at night-time,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03you know, the dark makes the whole job ten times more difficult.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11There you go, you're on 16.
0:21:12 > 0:21:1545 minutes after the alarm was raised,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18the lifeboat is nearing the location of the sinking vessel.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32She'd obviously gone aground quite hard,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34she was sitting at quite an angle,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37kind of bulwarks, stern still down in the water.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44With rocks just below the surface all around,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47it's not safe to take the lifeboat any closer
0:21:47 > 0:21:48in case it is holed, too.
0:21:50 > 0:21:51It's a decision you make in the time,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54you get close enough to see the fishing vessel
0:21:54 > 0:21:57but not too close as to put the lifeboat in danger.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58PUMP WHIZZES
0:21:58 > 0:22:01While the crew prepare the inflatable rib,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03the skipper of the stricken vessel radios in.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31As the fishing boat takes on more water,
0:22:31 > 0:22:32the situation worsens.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Despite the danger of being swept onto the rocks,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53the skipper's got no choice but to take his chances in the liferaft.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58It's not a decision you take lightly when you're the skipper of a boat.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Abandoning the boat is not high up, you know,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09on the list of things that you would generally do.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17The fishermen have only two small paddles
0:23:17 > 0:23:20to keep the liferaft from being blown against the rocks.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Lewis. I think we're all on the liferaft
0:23:31 > 0:23:33so they'll just be towing the liferaft out.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36With the fishermen struggling to make headway,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38skipper John deploys the inflatable craft.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42OK, mate, we'll just creep a wee bit closer to you and try to get to you.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45OK?
0:23:45 > 0:23:47I was in the little dinghy.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52Me and Lewis went over and took the painter from the liferaft.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54We towed them across.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09OK, no problem, no problem.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13OK, guys, there's a wee break in the rail here, so just go steady here
0:24:13 > 0:24:16a wee second. Let me just get you in and held alongside.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Just take your time.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21I mean, with fishermen, they're quite hardy
0:24:21 > 0:24:22so they had their heads about them,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25but you can see they were a bit frightened.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26Up the stern to me, there, pal.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33The fishermen have reached the safety of the lifeboat.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36LOUD RUMBLE
0:24:36 > 0:24:38But just in the nick of time.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42The boat's just what?
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Oh, shit.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47Oh, you bastard.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50In a matter of seconds,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53the fishing vessel has disappeared beneath the waves.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03I think it was the tide fell behind it
0:25:03 > 0:25:07and then the whole boat just slipped back and rolled over.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09The whole boat's gone.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11'It sank like a stone after that.'
0:25:11 > 0:25:13- FISHERMAN:- Christ, good decision to get off.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Aye, good decision to get off.
0:25:15 > 0:25:16The whole boat's gone.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24That's a pretty sobering thing,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27to realise that, you know, not less than five or ten minutes before,
0:25:27 > 0:25:29those crew had been on there.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33If they had been, they'd have been done for.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36So we got there just in time, really.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44At the time I didn't know what to think
0:25:44 > 0:25:46because I just couldn't believe it,
0:25:46 > 0:25:47the crew and myself,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50it was just a shock.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55You know, something that's always been there for us all
0:25:55 > 0:25:57to suddenly disappear.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05We could have had men in the compartments of the boat
0:26:05 > 0:26:08doing things when it rolled over, people could have been trapped,
0:26:08 > 0:26:10it could have been oh, so different.
0:26:12 > 0:26:13I can remember looking around
0:26:13 > 0:26:15and seeing how heartbroken they all looked.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20The whole way back I'm still trying to process it in my head
0:26:20 > 0:26:22that I just watched something sink...
0:26:23 > 0:26:27..and that was a little bit frightening.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30For the older volunteers,
0:26:30 > 0:26:31facing those fears
0:26:31 > 0:26:34has become something they've had to get used to.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Anyone that goes lifeboating for a length of time
0:26:39 > 0:26:41is going to come up against that. It's a horrible feeling that.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46During one callout a few months ago,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50it wasn't just the people they were rescuing who ended up in danger.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54A sailing yacht called the Classic Wave
0:26:54 > 0:26:57had run aground not far from Oban.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59It wasn't a particularly nice day.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04He started taking in water.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09I went across with a pump to stop pumping it out.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13There was three guys in the boat and myself.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15It was quite rough,
0:27:15 > 0:27:16there was quite big seas running in,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19and she took a couple of big bumps and just...
0:27:19 > 0:27:21the bottom of the boat just disintegrated.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26One guy got off and then, before we could get off,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29it just basically sat upright and sank like a stone.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35My life jackets didn't operate as they should've done
0:27:35 > 0:27:37and I basically just went under.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39and then I've thought...
0:27:39 > 0:27:40Fuck.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46As the boat sank, I could see Ped actually getting pulled under...
0:27:47 > 0:27:50..and I thought, "I'm going to lose him today."
0:27:52 > 0:27:54You know what's going on, you're going down.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56I remember thinking, as I was under the water,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58"Fuck this, I'm going home for my tea."
0:28:00 > 0:28:02And I basically went for the surface.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07It just didn't occur to me to be scared,
0:28:07 > 0:28:09you just have to get on with it.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12I was going home for my tea, so it wasn't an option.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18We were very fortunate not to lose him that day.
0:28:20 > 0:28:21I still think about it.
0:28:21 > 0:28:22You know...
0:28:23 > 0:28:25It's, it's, erm...
0:28:26 > 0:28:28We came really close that day.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30And, er...
0:28:30 > 0:28:31Yeah. I think about it often...
0:28:33 > 0:28:34..you know, for sure.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46The fishing vessel might have been lost,
0:28:46 > 0:28:47but, as dawn breaks,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50there's the welcome sight of Oban harbour.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55The main thing is that I brought all the men home.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57That is the most important thing.
0:28:58 > 0:28:59Sorry for your loss, boys.
0:29:03 > 0:29:04Thank you very much.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09The boat, although it's a great loss,
0:29:09 > 0:29:13is only a piece of machinery at the end of the day and can be replaced.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24There's been a few terrible accidents near this area.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33My best friend was lost over six years ago.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36We were only fishing ten mile from them
0:29:36 > 0:29:40and we heard word and we searched for an hour and a half
0:29:40 > 0:29:41before they found everybody.
0:29:43 > 0:29:44There was only one survivor.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53There is fatalities, and that is the sad truth of the job.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57We'll try and be as safe as we can, but things do happen.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04I know a lot of guys, guys in this crew who work at sea,
0:30:04 > 0:30:05who work on boats.
0:30:06 > 0:30:07The sea's got its own community and...
0:30:09 > 0:30:12..generally speaking everybody wants to help everybody else,
0:30:12 > 0:30:13I suppose the same as everywhere.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Saving lives and risking death
0:30:21 > 0:30:25binds volunteers together at all of the UK's lifeboat stations.
0:30:27 > 0:30:28You don't want to see this!
0:30:29 > 0:30:31The crew members become your best friends.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Standing here makes me looks taller.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38You're getting called out at two, three, four, five in the morning.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41You're all working together on that common goal,
0:30:41 > 0:30:45it bonds you stronger than you could ever imagine.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47I've got a hose and I know how to use it. Oh-oh!
0:30:47 > 0:30:49LAUGHTER
0:30:49 > 0:30:51A lot of camaraderie, a lot of banter...
0:30:52 > 0:30:54and we all have a good laugh, you know,
0:30:54 > 0:30:56we work together really well,
0:30:56 > 0:31:00and we socialise together quite a lot. So it's a good lot of lads.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07Former RNLI volunteer Brent is a paramedic
0:31:07 > 0:31:09who is hoping to rejoin the crew.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13You want to be part of the community and it's a real community aspect
0:31:13 > 0:31:18rather than, I suppose, just going down to the pub or going to the gym.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20And it's meeting the people.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22- Which I need at the moment. - HE LAUGHS
0:31:23 > 0:31:26He's moved back to his hometown of Blackpool
0:31:26 > 0:31:28following the breakdown of his marriage.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32When you're in a family unit,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35and then...everything breaks down,
0:31:35 > 0:31:37then I suppose it changes the outlook on life
0:31:37 > 0:31:40and things can look quite bleak.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42And things have changed so fast in your life
0:31:42 > 0:31:44when one day you're doing something
0:31:44 > 0:31:46and the next day everything's completely changed.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49So, yeah, I suppose there's a need to meet new people
0:31:49 > 0:31:50and meet new friends.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59Today, he's at the lifeboat station to find out about his re-enrolment.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04Things have changed since you were last here, the equipment's changed,
0:32:04 > 0:32:06the personnel have changed,
0:32:06 > 0:32:10the boats are different, so you'll have to get used to that.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13And the easiest way for us to do it
0:32:13 > 0:32:17- is to re-enrol you, but as shore crew.- Yeah.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19- Is that OK with you? - Yeah, of course.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22I'm going to give you the pager.
0:32:23 > 0:32:24The noisy thing.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27If it goes off, respond.
0:32:27 > 0:32:28As shore crew,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32Brent will assist with maintaining and launching the boats.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34Good to have him back, yeah. At least if we don't know how things is
0:32:34 > 0:32:37we can throw Brent in and see how deep it is.
0:32:37 > 0:32:38LAUGHTER
0:32:41 > 0:32:42ALARM RINGS
0:32:42 > 0:32:44With daylight fading, the pagers go off.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Two, three, four!
0:32:55 > 0:32:58But for now, Brent must watch from the sidelines.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12A member of the public has called,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15concerned for the safety of a fully clothed woman
0:33:15 > 0:33:17they've seen walking out into the sea.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21People that feel like they want to commit suicide,
0:33:21 > 0:33:23it happens on a daily basis with...
0:33:24 > 0:33:26..more people than it ever should.
0:33:27 > 0:33:28Where is it?
0:33:30 > 0:33:32Why some of them head to the sea...
0:33:33 > 0:33:34..I don't know.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39But, as the lifeboat institution,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41we are there for the preservation of life.
0:33:42 > 0:33:4340 metres!
0:33:43 > 0:33:44Yeah.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48- Shall we get out and get her? - One sec.
0:33:59 > 0:34:00Hold that.
0:34:05 > 0:34:06Come on.
0:34:08 > 0:34:09Come on. Come on.
0:34:09 > 0:34:10There you go, that's it.
0:34:24 > 0:34:25No, I'm not.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27- You are.- I'm not.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35Yeah, I do.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39When someone thinks that they don't want to be saved,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42I just try to think if it was one of my children
0:34:42 > 0:34:44that were saying they don't want to be saved.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46I'd still want someone else to save them.
0:34:47 > 0:34:48What've you done to your arm?
0:34:50 > 0:34:51Have you?
0:34:59 > 0:35:01We helped you out last year, didn't we?
0:35:01 > 0:35:02Yeah?
0:35:02 > 0:35:05OK, right, we're just going to get you the Land Rover.
0:35:06 > 0:35:07Hello.
0:35:07 > 0:35:08- Brent?- Yeah, yeah.
0:35:10 > 0:35:11I can't go back.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Brent, you want to sort her?
0:35:15 > 0:35:16When can I go?
0:35:16 > 0:35:17- You're- OK. I need to go.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Look, it's Brent. You remember me. Come on. Look at me.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22- One of the paramedics?- I need to go.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24- Listen, I always look after you, don't I?- Yes, but I need to go.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27- I want to go.- You know I always look after you.
0:35:29 > 0:35:30Why have you gone in the sea today?
0:35:32 > 0:35:34You want to be with your mum?
0:35:34 > 0:35:35All right.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39People, when they're suffering from grief,
0:35:39 > 0:35:40and they've lost...
0:35:40 > 0:35:44they've lost a family member, are not going to act rationally.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47And they need someone that's going to make them feel safe.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Can you just put your foot down here, is that all right?
0:35:52 > 0:35:53How is that? Are you OK there?
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Let's go in the warmth.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59For the break-up of my relationship with my wife,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02I'd been through some dark times and some upset,
0:36:02 > 0:36:05some irrational thoughts of losing my children
0:36:05 > 0:36:07or not having my children.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10You've got some lovely tattoos. Don't be ever cutting those.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12Have I?
0:36:14 > 0:36:16- Is it? Is that what's got you down?- Yeah.
0:36:20 > 0:36:21I remember.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23'Going through some of the things I've gone through in my life
0:36:23 > 0:36:27makes you realise you need to show other people empathy,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30and there are human beings that are in the darkest, darkest of places.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33When you get through those times,
0:36:33 > 0:36:35the struggle, the depression, the upset,
0:36:35 > 0:36:40you then can draw upon those experiences to help others.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43We've managed to calm her down.
0:36:43 > 0:36:44She's going to come to hospital.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46- Are you going to follow up? - Yes.- Yeah.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50'There's a great satisfaction in being needed,
0:36:50 > 0:36:52'and being required,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54'and as human beings, we do want to be needed
0:36:54 > 0:36:56'and we do want to help people.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59'You want to wake up in the morning knowing that...
0:37:00 > 0:37:02..somebody's going to need you today.'
0:37:02 > 0:37:04What's this?
0:37:04 > 0:37:05- Pager.- What is it for?
0:37:06 > 0:37:09Ringing emergencies.
0:37:09 > 0:37:10What emergencies?
0:37:11 > 0:37:13Water emergencies.
0:37:13 > 0:37:14Water emergencies!
0:37:15 > 0:37:18Then what're we doing? Then what're we doing?
0:37:18 > 0:37:19Then we need to draw a big lead...
0:37:22 > 0:37:24HORN PARPS
0:37:26 > 0:37:29There's no greater feeling knowing that you've saved someone's life
0:37:29 > 0:37:31or prevented some loss of life.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35The only thing that ever comes close to it is seeing your child born,
0:37:35 > 0:37:36something like that.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38It's a...
0:37:38 > 0:37:40It's a thrill, or an adrenaline rush.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42I don't know, you just can't control it.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Most people leave the RNLI by getting pushed out the door.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Because they don't want to go.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50You're hooked, you see, you love it.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54Sean loves it so much
0:37:54 > 0:37:57that he fits in up to ten hours of volunteering a week,
0:37:57 > 0:38:00on top of his full-time job and family life.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04Right, Oscar, no, you're not having that, I only did that to get you in.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07- Hi, love.- Hi, babe, you all right?- Oh, fine, love, fine.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Same as usual. Ironing, washing.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Well, that's what you married me for.
0:38:12 > 0:38:13LAUGHTER
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Women are queueing up to be in your position, love.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Name one, love. I've said that to you before.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21The lifeboat's the longest thing I've ever done.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Then I've got my son,
0:38:23 > 0:38:24then I've got my wife,
0:38:24 > 0:38:25and I've got my job.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28So my wife comes third, which she's not quite happy about.
0:38:28 > 0:38:29HE CHUCKLES
0:38:29 > 0:38:33Sean does not like sitting in the house on his own.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35- So I'm going to work at two o'clock, aren't I, love?- Yeah.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39Where do you go? Don't do man jobs, we talk about man jobs, in here,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41that's all we ever do, talk about them.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43You don't do your man jobs, do you, love?
0:38:43 > 0:38:45- I get someone in. - Cos he goes to the boathouse.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47But, to be honest,
0:38:47 > 0:38:51you can get husbands that'll get ready and go to the pub, won't they?
0:38:51 > 0:38:54He's never been one like that, so you've got to be thankful,
0:38:54 > 0:38:56you can't have it all ways.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58But...
0:38:58 > 0:39:00I'm very proud of him, I always have been...
0:39:02 > 0:39:04..really, but I don't tell him that often,
0:39:04 > 0:39:05because he's proud of himself.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Shall we ask if we can go up the club later?
0:39:09 > 0:39:10No.
0:39:10 > 0:39:11THEY CHUCKLE
0:39:12 > 0:39:15BLEEPING At 3pm, the pagers go off.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20What is it?
0:39:20 > 0:39:21What?
0:39:21 > 0:39:22..male, under North Pier.
0:39:22 > 0:39:27A member of the public has reported seeing a man falling off North Pier.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29Within five minutes of the alarm being raised,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32Sean and two other volunteers are ready to launch.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48The tide is flooded. The first thing I'm thinking is
0:39:48 > 0:39:50where's he going to end up? Where's he going to be?
0:39:52 > 0:39:54I need to locate him.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55I need to get to him.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12Seconds count. The quicker we are,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14the more chance we've got of saving someone.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19We'd rather save someone than go and pick a body up.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38Unable to hold on, the casualty is swept by the tide.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44He resurfaces unconscious,
0:40:44 > 0:40:46200 metres from where he first fell in.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48Ready! One, two, three, up!
0:41:06 > 0:41:09Doing a CPR on a boat is hard work.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11Carry on! Carry on!
0:41:11 > 0:41:13In a confined space, the boat's rocking and rolling,
0:41:13 > 0:41:16some occasions the waves are washing over the top of the boat.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19It is very demanding.
0:41:19 > 0:41:20Carry on, carry on.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25- Keep going, Johnno. - I'm going, I'm going.
0:41:27 > 0:41:28And again, Johnno.
0:41:33 > 0:41:34Run it home.
0:41:38 > 0:41:39Stretcher.
0:41:41 > 0:41:42Right, everyone, two three, up!
0:41:42 > 0:41:43Keep going.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46I need to be saving this person's life,
0:41:46 > 0:41:48that's why we're there, that's why we're all doing it.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50That's why we ALL do it.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54If we've done our best,
0:41:54 > 0:41:57if I know I've done 100% of my best to try and save them...
0:42:01 > 0:42:02..and I've used every tool I have...
0:42:03 > 0:42:05..in my armoury, so to speak, and..
0:42:07 > 0:42:09..do right what I'm supposed to be doing...
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Unfortunately, we can't save everyone.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24Despite ten minutes of continuous CPR,
0:42:24 > 0:42:26the casualty shows no sign of life.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32- Are you all right? - Nah, man, I'm tired.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44I've probably lost count of how many casualties
0:42:44 > 0:42:46we've brought in that are dead.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51It took a while before I could look at their faces.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56Though they sign up to save lives,
0:42:56 > 0:43:02every RNLI volunteer will eventually end up encountering death.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05People with white faces and white hands, really sad.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Someone's time's gone, their life's over, it's not good.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15It's difficult for everyone involved.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20It's something I think everybody just deals with, their own way.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26But no crew member will ever forget their first experience of death.
0:43:28 > 0:43:2919th of April.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33I remember the date, 19th of April.
0:43:33 > 0:43:34And it was a chap that...
0:43:34 > 0:43:36decided to...
0:43:36 > 0:43:37go into the sea.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41And we had to carry him out the boat.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44And it took about eight of us to carry him out.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47I'm thinking, why's it taking eight people to carry him out?
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Because I didn't know that, you know...
0:43:50 > 0:43:52The word "dead weight", you know?
0:43:52 > 0:43:56It was heavy. And that was the first body I'd seen.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01I don't think about death.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04It's going to come to us all, eventually.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07If there is a God, I'm hoping he's looking out for me when I go out on
0:44:07 > 0:44:11that boat. I'm not one for saying a prayer, or anything like that,
0:44:11 > 0:44:13I just like to think he's watching over us,
0:44:13 > 0:44:16and we're doing a good job, so he might look out for us.
0:44:21 > 0:44:22ALARM BLEEPING It's 5pm.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26A young woman's been cut off by the rising tide.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32Trapped on a rapidly disappearing sandbank,
0:44:32 > 0:44:35she's called the coastguard for help from her mobile.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41Accidents like this can happen at any time.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43Have we got a helmsman?
0:44:43 > 0:44:45But the risk is especially high twice a month
0:44:45 > 0:44:47during the spring tides.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52Spring tide doesn't refer to the season of spring,
0:44:52 > 0:44:54it refers to the fact that the tides springs back and forward
0:44:54 > 0:44:56very quickly.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59The tide will come in faster than people can imagine.
0:45:01 > 0:45:02It's moving as fast as a river.
0:45:03 > 0:45:04It rushes all around you,
0:45:04 > 0:45:07and people can soon be out of their depth.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12Last year, more than 600 people had to be rescued in the UK and Ireland
0:45:12 > 0:45:15after becoming cut off by the rising tide.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18The crew have just minutes to reach the young woman.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30It's not as easy to spot someone as you would think.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34It would only be a head sticking out of the water.
0:45:37 > 0:45:38We couldn't see her.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45The ripples on the water, they create shadows,
0:45:45 > 0:45:47it can look like heads or other objects.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50She's in the dark sea.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56We then spotted her, from a distance.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01We could see her going under and back up,
0:46:01 > 0:46:04and under and back up, and we're racing towards, just thinking,
0:46:04 > 0:46:05just get to her.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10She's seconds from drowning.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14When we get to her, we need to grab her,
0:46:14 > 0:46:17and we can't afford to miss her and have to turn round
0:46:17 > 0:46:22and do a second pass. She was just in her last moments.
0:46:32 > 0:46:33Are you all right?
0:46:34 > 0:46:36Are you OK?
0:46:37 > 0:46:40We pulled her out of the water so hard she flew in the air!
0:46:40 > 0:46:43We couldn't have pulled her out of the water any harder.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49What a feeling to grab her and think, you know, she's alive.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51SHE SCREAMS AND CRIES
0:46:59 > 0:47:01I was like...
0:47:01 > 0:47:02am I REALLY alive?
0:47:05 > 0:47:07I was waiting for death,
0:47:07 > 0:47:08but a guardian angel came.
0:47:10 > 0:47:11Have you got an ambulance?
0:47:12 > 0:47:14Here?
0:47:14 > 0:47:15SHE GROANS
0:47:16 > 0:47:18SHE RETCHES AND CRIES
0:47:20 > 0:47:22Hold it here, mate.
0:47:22 > 0:47:23To save someone's life...
0:47:25 > 0:47:27It's a very...
0:47:27 > 0:47:29primal, raw emotion.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33It's a privilege.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36There's something very instinctive about it.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40You know you're doing the right thing when you're saving
0:47:40 > 0:47:43someone's life. It's...
0:47:44 > 0:47:46- HE SIGHS - It's hard to explain.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54You feel like you're doing the most important thing on earth.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05When I was walking,
0:48:05 > 0:48:06I was just walking on sand,
0:48:06 > 0:48:08I was not near water at all.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11I was talking to my sister on my phone
0:48:11 > 0:48:16and then I realised in front of me there is water.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20You know, I just blinked my eyes and water is everywhere.
0:48:21 > 0:48:25Then water was coming up and up and up.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28I said, I don't want to die like this.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31I never thought that I'm going to die like this, no.
0:48:35 > 0:48:39If they had been late, I think, for two seconds...
0:48:39 > 0:48:40I wouldn't be here.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43Just for two seconds.
0:48:49 > 0:48:53Usma had to go to A&E to be checked over,
0:48:53 > 0:48:55but was ultimately given the all clear.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58Today, she's come back to Blackpool,
0:48:58 > 0:48:59to see her saviours.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02- Do you remember Alan?- Oh, yes.
0:49:02 > 0:49:03Hello, are you OK?
0:49:03 > 0:49:06Nice to see you again. These are my two daughters here.
0:49:06 > 0:49:10- This is Freya, that's Niamh. - Oh! Where've your teeth gone?
0:49:10 > 0:49:12The tooth fairy came and got it.
0:49:12 > 0:49:13I've lost four.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16We saw you just after the rescue, didn't we?
0:49:16 > 0:49:19But everything was still, you know...
0:49:19 > 0:49:21Yes, it was still shock at the time.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23My mum was crying, my dad was crying,
0:49:23 > 0:49:24everybody was.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28Considering I heard you couldn't swim, is that right?
0:49:28 > 0:49:30- No.- It happens all the time.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33We've got sandbanks here and it soon becomes an island,
0:49:33 > 0:49:34cos it fills in round it.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36It just flowed in like a river.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40I can't swim but I tried everything.
0:49:40 > 0:49:45What I know, what I saw in movies, I just tried everything in water.
0:49:45 > 0:49:46I'm happy you are here.
0:49:48 > 0:49:49Yes, I'm happy I'm alive.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53It's actually, you know, changed my life a lot.
0:49:53 > 0:49:58All this life, what we do, just running after money,
0:49:58 > 0:50:01and that's what all people are doing.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03I don't want all that now.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05We got to you fast as we could,
0:50:05 > 0:50:09and it was literally, like, we had one pass to grab hold of you.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11Shot out of the water like a flying fish, but...
0:50:11 > 0:50:12THEY LAUGH
0:50:12 > 0:50:14..the main thing is we got you.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17Like pointless, your life is looking like...
0:50:18 > 0:50:20..a big question mark for me.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22What I did with my life?
0:50:22 > 0:50:2528 years... Nothing?
0:50:28 > 0:50:31'I don't know how long I'm going to live
0:50:31 > 0:50:33'or what's going to happen or what's not going to happen,'
0:50:33 > 0:50:37I just want to be happy and make everybody happy.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40That's the second life.
0:50:40 > 0:50:41And all thanks to you guys.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44There's not many people who get a second chance.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46It's lovely...
0:50:46 > 0:50:47for it to work out that way.
0:50:47 > 0:50:51If you need my help any time for anything,
0:50:51 > 0:50:54I know you said you have to mop the floor or anything,
0:50:54 > 0:50:56I would come at any time.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59Lovely for you to say that, that's lovely.
0:50:59 > 0:51:01That's fantastic.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03Whatever I will do, it'll be nothing
0:51:03 > 0:51:05compared to what you did for me.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08I'm standing here just because of you guys. So...
0:51:08 > 0:51:11- Life-savers.- Life-savers, that's the aim of the game, Freya,
0:51:11 > 0:51:13that's what we're here for.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21Since the rescue, Usma's not the only one who's been rethinking
0:51:21 > 0:51:22what she's doing with her life.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27Alan's handed in his notice at the funeral parlour,
0:51:27 > 0:51:30and is hoping to join the Ambulance Service.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33What made me want to do it is basically starting on the lifeboat
0:51:33 > 0:51:35and dealing with casualties.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37It gives you an interest in wanting to help people.
0:51:39 > 0:51:40In a few days' time,
0:51:40 > 0:51:43he will sit his first exams in 20 years.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47Hopefully I won't be going to the job centre with my P45 in my hand.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49It won't come to that.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52I don't know. Hopefully Friday, next week, it'll all be good news.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03Before Alan bids goodbye to the world of funerals for good...
0:52:04 > 0:52:06..he has a last duty to perform.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11We will go out with the crew,
0:52:11 > 0:52:14we will have the big boat and a small boat
0:52:14 > 0:52:15and they'll both launch.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19Sean Lynch, a former RNLI volunteer,
0:52:19 > 0:52:23asked his wife Jean to arrange for his ashes to be scattered at sea.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27What we'll do is we will get on the radio
0:52:27 > 0:52:28so you're stood with someone at the radio
0:52:28 > 0:52:31and we can let them know when we are about to commence
0:52:31 > 0:52:32scattering the ashes.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39It really is his wish come true.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45He loved coming and walking down here.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47He'd come down here every morning,
0:52:47 > 0:52:49brought a paper and would sit there,
0:52:49 > 0:52:50have a cup of tea up the north pier
0:52:50 > 0:52:53and look out at the Irish Sea, he loved it.
0:52:58 > 0:53:02People quite often request their ashes are scattered.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04I personally think it's lovely.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07I guess it's a return to nature, something like that.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12We're all part of a big family in the lifeboat institution.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14We look after each other.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19But it is a constant reminder,
0:53:19 > 0:53:21and makes you realise that...
0:53:22 > 0:53:23That...
0:53:23 > 0:53:26..what's the most important things in life.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32Blackpool boat house, Blackpool boat house, this is Blackpool lifeboat.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34Blackpool lifeboat, this is Blackpool boat house, go ahead.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36Yes...
0:53:36 > 0:53:39we are about to commence a prayer...
0:53:39 > 0:53:43before we scatter Mr Sean Lynch's ashes into the sea.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46Alan is about to say the prayer now.
0:53:46 > 0:53:47Thank you. Go ahead.
0:53:48 > 0:53:52Eternal God, you have shared with us the life of Sean.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56As now we offer Sean back into your arms,
0:53:56 > 0:53:59comfort us in our loneliness.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02Strengthen us in our weakness and give us courage
0:54:02 > 0:54:05to face the future unafraid.
0:54:06 > 0:54:10For all those of us who remain in this life closer to one another,
0:54:10 > 0:54:11make us faithful,
0:54:11 > 0:54:13to serve one another,
0:54:13 > 0:54:17and give us to know that peace and joy
0:54:17 > 0:54:21which is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
0:54:21 > 0:54:22Amen.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26May he rest in peace.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Blackpool's had a lifeboat station for 150 years.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35That's a good bit of heritage there.
0:54:35 > 0:54:41You know, if you think over that 150 years how many things have changed,
0:54:41 > 0:54:45you know, people have gone from going about on horse and cart
0:54:45 > 0:54:46to landing on the moon.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53All the guys that have gone before us,
0:54:53 > 0:54:57we're all definitely well aware that you're treading in their footsteps.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02They didn't have the kit that we do,
0:55:02 > 0:55:04they're in corked life jackets and sou'westers,
0:55:04 > 0:55:06and they're rowing out to save people.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11All of their efforts, those that have survived,
0:55:11 > 0:55:12those that have laid down their lives,
0:55:12 > 0:55:14everything that they have done...
0:55:14 > 0:55:16pays to make you as a lifeboat crew safer.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20You know, those guys were like real heroes.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27The world has changed so much but...
0:55:28 > 0:55:32..in a weird way, the lifeboat institution's stayed the same,
0:55:32 > 0:55:34Or the fundamental values of the lifeboat institution
0:55:34 > 0:55:35have stayed the same.
0:55:35 > 0:55:36CHATTERING
0:55:38 > 0:55:41It's changed me from a boy to a man, to use a cliche.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44I really wouldn't ever want it to end,
0:55:44 > 0:55:47it's the best thing that I've ever done with my life.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59Rookie volunteer Shawna has now taken part in seven shouts...
0:56:00 > 0:56:02..helping to rescue eight people.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06She's hoping to become Newquay's first helmswoman.
0:56:12 > 0:56:14The Saint Apollo,
0:56:14 > 0:56:17the fishing vessel that sank in a storm off the Scottish coast,
0:56:17 > 0:56:19has been recovered by a salvage company.
0:56:21 > 0:56:25Captain McIlwraith and his crew are eager to get back to sea.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28I am looking to get another vessel.
0:56:28 > 0:56:29This is what we do, we're fishermen,
0:56:29 > 0:56:33so that's what we're going to carry on doing.
0:56:33 > 0:56:34The draw of the sea as they call it.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40Are you all right?
0:56:41 > 0:56:43Usma has been taking swimming lessons.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46Life is really precious.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48You shouldn't take it that easy.
0:56:50 > 0:56:52Just a few minutes,
0:56:52 > 0:56:55and you are just there and gone,
0:56:55 > 0:56:57from this world to that world.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01Alan passed his exams,
0:57:01 > 0:57:05and is now working as an emergency medical technician.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07Absolutely loving the new career.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09On a scale of one to ten,
0:57:09 > 0:57:12one being no pain at all,
0:57:12 > 0:57:14say ten is being eaten alive by a shark,
0:57:14 > 0:57:16right, how do you feel right now?
0:57:16 > 0:57:18I'd give it past ten, I tell you.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21Going from one extreme to another,
0:57:21 > 0:57:23from the deceased to the living, yeah,
0:57:23 > 0:57:25and the aim is to obviously keep them living, yeah!
0:57:25 > 0:57:26HE CHUCKLES