0:00:02 > 0:00:04We're an island nation,
0:00:04 > 0:00:06drawn to the sea that surrounds us.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08For many, it's a playground.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12For others, it's where we earn our living.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15But the sea's unpredictable.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20It can change in an instant and when accidents happen,
0:00:20 > 0:00:23they happen very fast.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25The sea is a dangerous place.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28If you don't respect the sea, the sea will bite you.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32There to save our lives is a volunteer army
0:00:32 > 0:00:34of nearly 5,000 ordinary people,
0:00:34 > 0:00:40ready to leave their jobs, their families, to race to our rescue.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45It makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up
0:00:45 > 0:00:48to know that, if it wasn't for you, that person wouldn't be here.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52They rescued me but they also saved a mum, a daughter,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54sister, a wife.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55Oh, my gosh.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58To see someone disappear under the water right in front of you
0:00:58 > 0:01:01is brutal, it's absolutely horrendous.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04Equipped with their own cameras...
0:01:04 > 0:01:07- Is my light flashing?- Yeah, is mine?
0:01:07 > 0:01:09..the crews give us a unique insight
0:01:09 > 0:01:12into every call-out, as only they see it...
0:01:12 > 0:01:15- It's all right, just another little wave.- Argh!
0:01:15 > 0:01:18..speeding through the roughest weather,
0:01:18 > 0:01:23searching for people who may only have moments to live.
0:01:23 > 0:01:24Can you still hear me?
0:01:24 > 0:01:29For those who risk their lives, it has become a way of life.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33When those pagers go off, it's life and death.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47The resort town of Salcombe lies
0:01:47 > 0:01:51within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Its sheltered harbour and crystal clear waters
0:01:54 > 0:01:58ensure the region is inundated with holiday-makers,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00keen to make the most of their summer break.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Salcombe revolves around tourism now.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06It can swell from 2,000 in the winter
0:02:06 > 0:02:08to about 30,000 in the summer.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10We all rely on tourism.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Without tourism, we'd be unemployed
0:02:12 > 0:02:14and probably wouldn't live here.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Here, on Devon's most southerly point,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22the coastline is also renowned for its dramatic tides,
0:02:22 > 0:02:26and the fierce winds that batter the shore, even in summer,
0:02:26 > 0:02:28can take the most experienced seafarer by surprise.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34In 2012, on an apparently calm August day,
0:02:34 > 0:02:39the Salcombe crew were called to one of their trickiest rescues ever.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42SIREN WAILS
0:02:42 > 0:02:46When the pager went off, we were just finishing work.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48The weather was clear, so there was no rain,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50but there was a drop of wind.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Four miles along the coast, in Soar Mill Cove,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55a surfer has been reported in trouble.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00You're already on high alert. You've got a person in the water.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03They could be injured, they could have swallowed water,
0:03:03 > 0:03:05so speed is of the essence, really.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Once we're outside the harbour,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13it goes from the nice calm water into the slightly rougher stuff.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Sort of turned the corner to the west
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and we sort of realised that maybe, yeah,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20the weather conditions are a bit worse than what we'd thought.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22At the helm of the inshore lifeboat,
0:03:22 > 0:03:27Sam soon finds himself heading into a southerly force 6 wind
0:03:27 > 0:03:29and a three-metre swell.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32It was quite lively and quite challenging to helm the boat,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35with a bit of panic, at such speed through that weather.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38And then, when we got to the bay, with the shallow water,
0:03:38 > 0:03:39that's when it got particularly rough.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Ten minutes after launch,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45the crew reach Soar Mill Cove.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47On the edge of the bay,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50a man is being thrown around by six-metre waves.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51With each surge,
0:03:51 > 0:03:55he's being pushed closer towards a wall of sharp rocks.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Among the crowd on the beach,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02the man's wife has been watching in horror.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06It was quite a nice sunny day.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08There was quite a lot of people in the water.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12It really didn't look like a dangerous situation.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14One of our friends came over and said,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16"Oh, Claire, do you think Pete's all right?"
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Pete was surfing,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22when he was overturned by unexpectedly strong waves,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25and dragged into a rip current running along the edge of the bay.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29It was like a thing from a horror movie.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33I saw him get tossed around quite a few times, close to the rocks.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35It was like he was in a washing machine.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41When the RNLI lifeboat arrived,
0:04:41 > 0:04:46I can just remember feeling such, I suppose elation.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49I just thought, "Oh, the professionals are here.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53"They know what they're doing, they're used to doing this.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54"It's going to be fine."
0:04:56 > 0:04:59As Sam and his volunteer crew of two reach the mouth of the bay,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02the conditions they see inside are treacherous.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06As helm, it's Sam's responsibility to weigh up the safety of his team
0:05:06 > 0:05:09against the safety of the struggling surfer.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14The conditions were a bit challenging
0:05:14 > 0:05:17and it was just set after set of breaking waves.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20The surfer was getting pushed up against the rocks,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23so it wasn't only a risk of drowning,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26there was, obviously, a potential head injury.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30He was in breaking swell, very close to rocks,
0:05:30 > 0:05:32so he was in a lot of danger.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40They tried to come into the bay and got pushed back out
0:05:40 > 0:05:43and tried, I don't know, three or four times.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46It was terrifying.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51I don't think I've ever been that frightened or scared.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54We are only in a small boat.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58It's seven and a half metres long, so the waves could swamp us,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00flip us over, anything like that.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Ultimately, you've got to survive yourself,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08so you're not going to put yourself in too much danger
0:06:08 > 0:06:09that you can't rescue him,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12cos a dead lifeboatman's a useless lifeboatman.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16You and your crew, on that boat, you're looking at him,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19but you're always thinking about how you're going to get
0:06:19 > 0:06:20out of that situation as well.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25The crew get within two metres of the casualty
0:06:25 > 0:06:26and try to throw him a line.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29But he's become tangled in the leash attached to his board
0:06:29 > 0:06:32and can't catch it. Close to exhaustion,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35he keeps disappearing under bigger waves.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39He'd been in the water for quite a while.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41He'd hit the rocks a few times.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44He was tangled, he'd inhaled a bit of water, so communicating...
0:06:44 > 0:06:47We couldn't communicate with him.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51I don't know what's going through his head,
0:06:51 > 0:06:53but he must have been having some pretty bad thoughts.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Slowly, it started to dawn on me
0:06:59 > 0:07:02that actually the conditions now were so bad
0:07:02 > 0:07:05they couldn't get in to save him, despite their very best attempts.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14But after failing with the line, Sam decides to try a different approach.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Now he wants to go in even closer
0:07:16 > 0:07:19to try to pull Pete out of the water by hand.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22It's an incredibly dangerous manoeuvre.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27If you come in forwards to it, with the breaking swell behind you,
0:07:27 > 0:07:28you'll surf just like a surfboard
0:07:28 > 0:07:31and you'll end up on the rocks or the beach.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33So, I had to come in backwards, under control.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38We were very close to rocks, we had a live person in the water
0:07:38 > 0:07:41and we have two engines which have propellers,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44so there's always the risk that the boat gets pulled back on a wave
0:07:44 > 0:07:46and it could end up on top of him.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52It was a big challenge, keeping the boat away from him
0:07:52 > 0:07:55and safe, whilst getting close enough to rescue him.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Eventually, we manoeuvred the boat into a position
0:08:01 > 0:08:04where we could actually get close to him,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07without the risk of the waves crashing over us.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12It was just timing, really.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16As one wave had gone through, then we can move across,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19grab the guy and physically pull him onto the boat.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31I guess they put their own lives at risk, actually.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36They just made one more effort and pushed to get the boat in.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42But the crew are not out of the cove yet.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45The casualty needs urgent medical attention,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48but it's not safe to bring him ashore here.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51The only option is to take him to Salcombe, back through the waves.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55We've just got this guy on board,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57you're thinking about getting him home,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01and as we're coming out, bang, this big wall of water hit us.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08As I looked to the sea, I saw the boat...
0:09:10 > 0:09:14..and I just thought the whole boat was going to tip then
0:09:14 > 0:09:16and that the lot of them were going to end up in the water.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20It is like a fairground ride.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24Within milliseconds, you've gone from level to vertical.
0:09:24 > 0:09:25It was quite scary, it was.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31I think I apologised, cos we hit this thing
0:09:31 > 0:09:34and they were, the guys were dealing with the casualty
0:09:34 > 0:09:35on the back of the lifeboat.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38I think one of them actually grabbed hold of him
0:09:38 > 0:09:40to stop him shooting out the back.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Yeah, it could have gone wrong there, it could have.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49The lucky surfer was 54-year-old IT consultant Pete.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53It was like a cauldron in the cove there.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56I guess I was caught in some kind of rip current.
0:09:56 > 0:10:02I wasn't in a panic state but, yeah, I was definitely worried.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06I knew I was in a very dangerous situation
0:10:06 > 0:10:10and I thought, it crossed my mind I might not get out of this.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15If we hadn't have got to him when we did,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18there's every chance he would have hit the rocks
0:10:18 > 0:10:24or ended up in deeper water and he would have drowned.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29My feelings about the whole thing is a kind of deep embarrassment
0:10:29 > 0:10:34about getting myself into that situation. I felt guilty about...
0:10:36 > 0:10:40..you know, them having to risk their lives to save me.
0:10:49 > 0:10:54I think probably both Pete and I feel how lucky we are
0:10:54 > 0:10:57and that there are amazing people out there
0:10:57 > 0:11:01who give up their time, as volunteers,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03to do incredibly dangerous things
0:11:03 > 0:11:06to help save lives,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09and they certainly did on this occasion.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Once a small fishing village, the arrival of royalty and the railway
0:11:21 > 0:11:24transformed Brighton beyond recognition.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Now the city is one of the biggest tourist resorts.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Last year, almost eight million day-trippers poured into the city,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35the vast majority in search of seaside fun.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39A lot of people come down to have a good time on the beach,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41have a few drinks and have a barbie on the beach.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43I think that's quite normal.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47But it's the point where people go beyond that
0:11:47 > 0:11:52and put themselves in danger and the fun then becomes a problem.
0:11:53 > 0:11:58Since 1825, Brighton lifeboat crews have been saving fishermen
0:11:58 > 0:11:59and funseekers alike.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02For trainee helm Jade, it's in her blood.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07My dad was on the lifeboat for most of my childhood.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Basically, I think we just went down there for the biscuits
0:12:09 > 0:12:13to start with, but then it got more and more interesting.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17Jade joined the team as an apprentice when she was just 16.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20She's now a fully fledged member of the crew.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22It is like a second home, a second family.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25They have really helped me through the tough times
0:12:25 > 0:12:26and the good times as well.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29We're from all different walks of life, so some people,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32you'd never meet in a million years, and that's what I love about it.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Jade's dad is now responsible
0:12:36 > 0:12:38for the daily running of the Brighton station.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40And just to keep it in the family,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42boyfriend Dan is part of the crew too.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Dan and I met on the lifeboat.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49We've been together, on and off, for about seven years now.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Yeah, a big orange boat brought us together, I guess.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Hasn't really torn us apart yet.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59When that pager goes off, we're not a couple any more.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01We're not boyfriend and girlfriend, we're crew,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04and you've got to leave all that at the station,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07before you go out on the boat. That all gets left behind.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Jade gets no special treatment from me.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11In fact, she gets more grief, probably.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13It's funny when we both run out of a restaurant
0:13:13 > 0:13:14when our pager goes off.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Yeah, there's no-one left to pay the bill, sadly.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Following in the wake of her dad and boyfriend,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Jade's now seeking to make history on the Brighton boat.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27So, if I get through the training,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30I'd be the first female helm at Brighton.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32It's definitely a challenge.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36I'm enjoying the challenge and it's nice to be able to see, like,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39the pathway my dad took, the pathway Dan took,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42that I'm following in those footsteps.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46The Brighton crew are called out around 70 times a year
0:13:46 > 0:13:47and when the pager goes off,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50whatever else they're doing comes to a stop.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52SIREN WAILS
0:13:52 > 0:13:56I was sitting in the curry house with my brother and my dad,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58as it was the night before Father's Day.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01I flung my purse to my brother
0:14:01 > 0:14:04and said, "Pay with whatever card's in there
0:14:04 > 0:14:06"and come and meet us down the lifeboat station."
0:14:08 > 0:14:10A warm Saturday evening in June.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13The crew are used to responding to reports of people in the water
0:14:13 > 0:14:15but, as the first information comes through,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18it's clear this is no ordinary shout.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20They've been called to two young men
0:14:20 > 0:14:23who've jumped off the nearby pier, tombstoning.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Tombstoning is where people jump
0:14:27 > 0:14:30off of an object like a groyne or the pier
0:14:30 > 0:14:32from a height into the sea.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Tombstoning is a deadly craze,
0:14:35 > 0:14:39known to all too many lifeboat crews around the coast.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42It's not a very safe activity to be doing.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44You don't know the depth of the water, it's deceiving.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47You don't know what's under there, especially around the pier.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49There might be submerged objects you don't know about.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51It's a dangerous activity.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53It's normally a life-threatening situation
0:14:53 > 0:14:55and we have to act as fast as possible.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00It's been estimated there have been 20 tombstoning fatalities
0:15:00 > 0:15:03in the UK since 2005.
0:15:03 > 0:15:04At low tide,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08the drop from Brighton Pier to the water below is around 12 metres.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11The two men have chosen the worst possible time
0:15:11 > 0:15:13for their dangerous stunt.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17When he jumped off, we didn't know if he bent his legs
0:15:17 > 0:15:20and landed safely or he kept his legs straight,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24if he landed on his front or his back when he entered the water.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Is he going to be under the water?
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Is he going to still be clinging onto the steps?
0:15:31 > 0:15:35We are probably going to someone who's got a spinal injury
0:15:35 > 0:15:37and a potential drowning.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41The pier's only five minutes away.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45The crew spots security guards and a young man standing on metal steps.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48At the bottom is the casualty, barely clinging on.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53His head was drooped down. We shouted at him to see if he was OK.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55We weren't getting much response.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57All we could hear was his friend shouting at him.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02He was quite aggressive towards the staff on the pier
0:16:02 > 0:16:05and also to ourselves as well.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09He was just shouting over us and making it difficult
0:16:09 > 0:16:12to give commands to the casualty who was in the water.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18It adds an extra pressure to it, definitely, and an extra challenge.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22The casualty's already been in the water for 20 minutes.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Blocking out the barracking of the man on the steps,
0:16:25 > 0:16:29the crew still need to work out what injuries the casualty may have.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33You have so much going through your head of what to treat him for
0:16:33 > 0:16:36and I just said to the boys, "Right, we've just got to treat him
0:16:36 > 0:16:38"for spinal, worst-case scenario,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41"and if it isn't, at least we've prepared ourselves for that,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44"so if it is that, then he's got the best chance of survival."
0:16:46 > 0:16:48He didn't look to be in a very good way.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51He looked cold and without the strength
0:16:51 > 0:16:54to be able to pull himself out the water, so it was at that point
0:16:54 > 0:16:56that Jade entered the water to go and assist him.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01MAN ON PIER SHOUTS
0:17:04 > 0:17:06As Jade reaches out through the heaving swell,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09suddenly the casualty lets go.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16He went under about a foot or two.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18He was definitely in a life-threatening situation.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21If we hadn't got there in time, he would have gone under the water
0:17:21 > 0:17:23and taken in water and potentially drowned.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26It was quite a scary thought when he just let go,
0:17:26 > 0:17:27because you're thinking, "Oh, my gosh,
0:17:27 > 0:17:31"I've got a guy that's twice the size of me in my arms.
0:17:31 > 0:17:32"He's lost all the energy."
0:17:32 > 0:17:34You're thinking, "Oh, my God,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37"I've got someone's life literally in my hands here.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39"I've got to get him to the lifeboat."
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Just used all my strength I had to pull him up
0:17:43 > 0:17:45and move him across to the lifeboat.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52The crew still have no idea what injuries
0:17:52 > 0:17:54the casualty has sustained in hitting the water.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57But as he's drifting in and out of consciousness,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59the priority is to get him onto the boat.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Him losing consciousness kind of makes it a bit more straightforward.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06It does mean you can just focus on,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08"Right, we need to get him onto the boat
0:18:08 > 0:18:11"and we need to make sure that he's breathing under his own accord
0:18:11 > 0:18:13"and we don't lose him under water."
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Our priority is to get them out of the water so they don't drown -
0:18:22 > 0:18:24as simple as that.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26If that person has a spinal injury,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30obviously, we'd like to get them out as carefully as possible,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32but it's life over limb.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36One, two, three, pull.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40- We'll take him straight to the marina.- No problem, mate.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43UNCLEAR DISCUSSION
0:18:45 > 0:18:47He was obviously intoxicated.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50You could smell it and you could see it from his slurring words.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52He was very cold. Hypothermia had set in at this point.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05He'd belly-flopped into the sea and was complaining of chest pains.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08We can't internally examine the guy.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10We're not paramedics, we're lifeboat crew,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14so we just wanted to get him back to professional assistance
0:19:14 > 0:19:15as soon as possible.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22I don't need a collar!
0:19:22 > 0:19:25An ambulance is already waiting back at the lifeboat station.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29People definitely underestimate the sea when they're drunk.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33They lose that key sort of judgment of saying, "No",
0:19:33 > 0:19:37and not making those decisions that, later on, you probably regret.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41I don't know how I felt.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45It was quite a mix of emotions because you've saved someone's life,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49in essence, but you also want to, like, go,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51"Why did you do that? Why did you jump off the pier?"
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Despite the initial concerns for his condition,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59the Brighton tombstoner was discharged from hospital
0:19:59 > 0:20:00the following day.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I think that that gentleman was particularly lucky, yeah.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08He could have paralysed himself, jumping off the pier, quite easily.
0:20:08 > 0:20:09Yeah, it's strange, it's strange
0:20:09 > 0:20:12going back to our everyday life after something like that.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Last year, the three summer months accounted
0:20:19 > 0:20:22for almost half of the RNLI's call-out,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25and lifeboat crews and lifeguards round our coastline
0:20:25 > 0:20:27have their own name for those days
0:20:27 > 0:20:31when the great British public heads out for a bit of summer fun.
0:20:31 > 0:20:32The silly season.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35You mention it, any crew around the country will know
0:20:35 > 0:20:36what you're talking about immediately.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39The time when everyone flocks to the beaches
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and does things which you just look back on and think,
0:20:42 > 0:20:43"Why, why are you doing that?"
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- There's your problem. - Yeah, I can imagine.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48We always call it a barmy Friday
0:20:48 > 0:20:52when all the offices are coming out on a Friday night,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55they're all having a drink before they go home.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Some of them are just innocently sitting on the wall
0:20:58 > 0:21:01and lose their balance and fall in backwards into the water.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Two people think their superhumans
0:21:03 > 0:21:05and they're going to swim the River Thames.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07OK, in you come, fella.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Some of the people that come down to the beaches don't understand
0:21:12 > 0:21:15that, if you buy an inflatable dinghy,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18you should buy oars with it and they buy spades with them
0:21:18 > 0:21:20and they think, "Yeah, these will get me back to the shore."
0:21:20 > 0:21:23And you're thinking, "No, they really won't."
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Hey-up, fella. What are you doing out here?
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Why do people not understand these things?
0:21:28 > 0:21:31- How you planning on getting back, like?- I'll paddle back.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Here, we have small rubber rings, dinghies,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39and the amounts of small children that we have to go out
0:21:39 > 0:21:43and rescue in one summer, is quite shocking, really.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45We can't leave you out here.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47For one, you got no life jacket, you've got no safety gear.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49If that happens, it's on us now.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51It's always a crazy time.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54By the end of the summer, you're exhausted.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55Wait there a minute, mate.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58The only respite we get is some rain which, you know,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01sometimes the lifeguards pray for in the middle of summer
0:22:01 > 0:22:03cos they just need a couple of days, you know,
0:22:03 > 0:22:05to actually relax a little bit.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Just 40 miles from central London,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Southend-on-Sea is abuzz through the summer months,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20with waves of pleasure-seekers coming to let off steam.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23Southend comes alive in summer.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26We have coachloads of people coming down. Some even want to sit
0:22:26 > 0:22:29on the beach while it's raining and have their picnic.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35You get all walks of life of people coming from everywhere.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37They just don't appreciate the fact
0:22:37 > 0:22:40that it's not always golden beaches and suntans.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43With so many people taking to the water,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Southend is Britain's third busiest lifeboat station.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50And the main reason for that is the dramatic tides,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53which catch people out all year round.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56The tides do move very fast.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00You think that it's right out and you're going to be OK
0:23:00 > 0:23:02but, within minutes, the tide could be round your feet.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08They just don't appreciate how quickly the tide can come in
0:23:08 > 0:23:11and how the tide doesn't get tired but you do.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Unless you're some kind of athlete who can run across mud,
0:23:16 > 0:23:17you'll never outrun it.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22To ensure they're ready for action, whether the tide is in or out,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25the Southend crew can launch from either end
0:23:25 > 0:23:28of their mile-long pier and, unlike most stations,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31they have crews who volunteer to be on duty at the boathouses
0:23:31 > 0:23:35every weekend, giving them the best possible head start
0:23:35 > 0:23:36when a call does come in.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Sometimes you get five or six jobs in a day
0:23:39 > 0:23:42and you'll be rushed off your feet.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Other times, you'll sit here all weekend and nothing will happen.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48- What you guys do to keep busy?- Tea.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50- Yeah, tea.- Tea, a bit of telly.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52We've got plenty of jobs that we do.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57Run through all the kit on the boats, keeping it all clean as well.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Yeah, and we clean the boathouse, you know,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01keep it all looking spick and span.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07SIREN WAILS
0:24:07 > 0:24:08A hot Saturday in June.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13The Southend crew receive a call from the coastguard.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18A family with three young children visiting a local landmark
0:24:18 > 0:24:19have been caught out by the tide.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25We were told that the casualties were by the Mulberry Harbour,
0:24:25 > 0:24:27which is a popular spot at Southend.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Southend's Mulberry Harbour,
0:24:32 > 0:24:33the remains of floating harbour
0:24:33 > 0:24:36constructed during the Second World War,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39has become an attraction for hundreds of visitors every year.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42It was towed out, back in the Second World War,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44and it broke in half and sank and it stayed there.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48And the public like to walk off, and climb on it, and it's got
0:24:48 > 0:24:52quite a deep cool of water around it, so they jump off and swim.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55At low tide, the Mulberry Harbour's a pleasant mile-long walk,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57out across the sand.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00But when the waters return, there's no way back.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05They don't appreciate the fact that the tide comes in behind them
0:25:05 > 0:25:06and cuts them off from the shore.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09And you can be going from a perfectly happy day
0:25:09 > 0:25:11to serious trouble.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Dover coastguard, Dover coastguard,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Southend hovercraft, Southend hovercraft, over.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19From either end of the pier, a hovercraft
0:25:19 > 0:25:22and a D-class inshore lifeboat are launched.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29The danger for the family
0:25:29 > 0:25:33was that they were with two particularly small children
0:25:33 > 0:25:35and, knowing the local area like we do,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38we knew that they weren't going to get back to shore safely
0:25:38 > 0:25:40without our assistance.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44The currents can be five, six miles an hour,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47which will basically just take them away.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50You know that they may well be off the bottom already
0:25:50 > 0:25:52and they could well be treading water when you get there,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54so you know you have to move fairly quickly.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59The crews head for the area where the family was last seen.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05I was concerned that they may try and make their own way ashore
0:26:05 > 0:26:09through what I know to be some considerably deep gullies
0:26:09 > 0:26:13and it would have been above their heads
0:26:13 > 0:26:16and we were just worried about them getting washed away, really.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Can we see anyone?
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Small children are very vulnerable in the sea.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24There's just not enough strength, not against the water.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27It doesn't take a lot for them to panic.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Within minutes of launch, a group of figures is spotted.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- Sorry, guys.- That's all right. - Sorry!
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Dover coastguard, Dover coastguard...
0:26:54 > 0:26:56The family of five have been fortunate.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00As they tried to wade back from the Mulberry Harbour,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03a passing kayaker, realising the danger they were in,
0:27:03 > 0:27:07stopped and took the two younger children on board to keep them safe.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14They were lucky they came across a canoeist cos otherwise,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16they'd have had to carry the children and, obviously,
0:27:16 > 0:27:17two adults carrying two children
0:27:17 > 0:27:19puts a far bigger burden on yourself,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22and walking across mud, with an incoming tide behind you,
0:27:22 > 0:27:25I think panic would have set in a lot more
0:27:25 > 0:27:27and they could have been in a lot more trouble.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44The rescued family are Southend locals,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Sally and James and their three boys.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Nice big donation coming up for you guys, I can tell you.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54I'm so sorry to drag you out here.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56We'll get a visit from the hovercraft in a second as well.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Oh, you're joking! No! The hovercraft is coming for us.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06We were absolutely mortified.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Growing up on a beach, you see these things happen all the time,
0:28:10 > 0:28:14and you look at people and go, "Look at those idiots!
0:28:14 > 0:28:17"What have they done? They've got themselves trapped."
0:28:17 > 0:28:19And there's us, a family of five,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23doing exactly what we would have laughed about on the beach
0:28:23 > 0:28:27or, you know, been tutting and waving our fingers about.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31- It's all right.- No, it's not. It's so stupid.
0:28:31 > 0:28:32We were at the station anyway.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35We were getting bored anyway, to be honest.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37- We were doing cleaning and stuff. - Were you?- Yeah.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45The day had started as a summer outing to the beach.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51We'd been sitting on the sand for about five or ten minutes
0:28:51 > 0:28:56and Jake, my 14-year-old, stood up and turned round and said,
0:28:56 > 0:28:58"Dad, I think we're in trouble."
0:28:59 > 0:29:01We all stood up, turned round
0:29:01 > 0:29:03and realised that there was no sand left.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06It was a mile and a half of sea to get back to the shore.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08We started walking back
0:29:08 > 0:29:12and it wasn't until we were actually in the water,
0:29:12 > 0:29:14it got deeper and deeper and, all of a sudden,
0:29:14 > 0:29:17it was hip height, which is chest height on Oscar,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20and that was the point when we started panicking, really.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25I can't believe how quick that came in though.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27We were talking, we were sitting there,
0:29:27 > 0:29:30then all of a sudden it just went whoosh and came in.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32The problem is, where you are, it's really high,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35really, really high and it's coming all the way across here,
0:29:35 > 0:29:37behind you, and it's still dry there.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41By the time you know it, as you saw, you're up to chest deep in water.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43Exactly.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46The instinctive dad mode in that position, would have been,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49"I can save everybody and it's all going to be fine,"
0:29:49 > 0:29:53but when we realised how fast the tide was coming in,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56you could actually feel the pressure of the water against your legs,
0:29:56 > 0:30:00that's when I really realised that we were in trouble.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03All of a sudden, all these things start going through your mind,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06where you're like, "We've brought our children
0:30:06 > 0:30:08"into this really dangerous situation
0:30:08 > 0:30:10"and how do we get out of it?"
0:30:10 > 0:30:13It's every parent's nightmare.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16The family had checked the tide times
0:30:16 > 0:30:18but they're not always 100% accurate
0:30:18 > 0:30:21and tide heights can fluctuate dramatically.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24The tide on the day, cos we were checking it
0:30:24 > 0:30:26while we were at the boathouse, was actually half a metre
0:30:26 > 0:30:30above prediction anyway, and it was coming in earlier than they thought.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Even the most experienced people can get caught out by things like that.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36We had a laugh and a joke about it with the kids and the parents,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38saying, "Everything's fine now."
0:30:38 > 0:30:40We could understand their mistakes
0:30:40 > 0:30:43and we went back to the station with smiles and grins.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46- Thank you so much. - It's all right, no problem.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48- It's what we're here for. - I'm so sorry.- So sorry.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51Come here, little man, give us your hand. Jump.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56I learned so much about the tidal system that day.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59I actually got home and googled it so much,
0:30:59 > 0:31:02I feel like I'm quite an expert now.
0:31:02 > 0:31:03Cheers, mate, thank you.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07I know that people always think it would never happen to them,
0:31:07 > 0:31:10but it happened to us and it was petrifying,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13and it doesn't matter how much homework you do
0:31:13 > 0:31:15or you think you've done,
0:31:15 > 0:31:17it's never quite enough.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31Knowledge and experience are vital assets
0:31:31 > 0:31:34for anyone taking to the seas around Britain.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38But if you've got what it takes and can commit to the training,
0:31:38 > 0:31:41you can join a lifeboat crew as young as 17.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47The seaside resort of New Quay on Wales' spectacular Cardigan Bay,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50is home to 18-year-old rookie Ollie.
0:31:52 > 0:31:53I think it's fairly cool
0:31:53 > 0:31:55when you walk around with the pager.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57Everyone's kind of staring at you a bit.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59Or you hear the occasional, "He's in the lifeboat."
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Or when the pager goes off and you're running up the street
0:32:02 > 0:32:04everyone's, like, "Oh, look at him go!"
0:32:04 > 0:32:06When he's not saving lives at sea,
0:32:06 > 0:32:08Ollie works alongside his mum, Karina,
0:32:08 > 0:32:11in the family shop overlooking the harbour.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16- Cappuccino, regular one?- Sure thing.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18OK, £2.25 then, please.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Yeah, it's fairly seasonal but, in the summer, obviously,
0:32:21 > 0:32:22it picks up quite a lot
0:32:22 > 0:32:25and it's rammed down here most of the time, so it's good.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28If there's a long queue on ice cream and his pager goes off,
0:32:28 > 0:32:29sometimes I think he's fixed it,
0:32:29 > 0:32:32just so he can skedaddle on a really busy day.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34No, usually they're pretty cool about covering me
0:32:34 > 0:32:37when I've got a shout, so it works quite well. She's a good boss.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40She can be harsh at times but she's not too bad at all.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42My father is in the coastguard,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45so he's always tried to drill it into me
0:32:45 > 0:32:47that it's a good thing to do for the community,
0:32:47 > 0:32:50and I've just always loved the RNLI since I was a young boy.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Watching the boat go out has been quite exciting, so it would be nice
0:32:53 > 0:32:56to join, and I thought that's a great idea, so I joined up.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00In the winter months, if it's windy outside and it's dark
0:33:00 > 0:33:03and raining and his pager goes off, that's the time I really worry.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06Yeah, I never go to sleep until he's home.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11Not everyone wants to be on a boat at two in the morning in the cold
0:33:11 > 0:33:15and the waves, with it raining down on you, but you deal with it,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18you get on with it, because you've got something important to do.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21In his short career so far,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24Ollie's already racked up a fair bit of experience.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Cardigan Bay's cliff-lined coast
0:33:27 > 0:33:30and dramatic tides keep the lifeboat crews busy.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33I think for a lot of people,
0:33:33 > 0:33:35it's quite a novelty to come down and see the sea.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39I think they think of it as quite a large swimming pool,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41so they don't really understand the dangers.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43The coastline has quite steep cliffs,
0:33:43 > 0:33:48lots of shingly beaches, which shelve away quite sharply,
0:33:48 > 0:33:50so there's quite deep water close to the shore.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52The cliffs can be quite hazardous
0:33:52 > 0:33:55if people get cut off by the tide and start to climb.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59People walk across, like, a tidal path, thinking it's fine,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02but before you know it, you're trapped in this little cove.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06On a warm July afternoon, a call comes in from the coastguard.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08SIREN WAILS
0:34:11 > 0:34:14I think I was just serving someone ice cream as it went off,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17so I kind of threw the scoop down and said,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19"Can you cover this? I've got to go."
0:34:19 > 0:34:22Two young girls have gone missing, while out walking their dogs.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28Both New Quay and the Aberystwyth lifeboat station,
0:34:28 > 0:34:3120 miles up the coast, prepare to launch.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34When you hear it's children, it's a bit more scary,
0:34:34 > 0:34:37a bit more worrying for us, cos you know,
0:34:37 > 0:34:39no-one wants anything to happen to children.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45When you hear a young child's in distress, you do react differently.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51They don't have the experience that adults have, so you always react
0:34:51 > 0:34:55a bit faster and kind of be a bit more keen to get there to help them.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59If I was that age, I definitely would panic.
0:34:59 > 0:35:00It would be a scary situation to be in.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02I wouldn't like to be in it at all.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08The 12-year-old girls set out for their walk over two hours ago.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10No-one knows where they are now.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14With a search area of ten miles of coastline,
0:35:14 > 0:35:16both the New Quay inshore lifeboat
0:35:16 > 0:35:21and Aberystwyth's larger Atlantic 85 are deployed at the same time.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29We headed up the coast while the Aberystwyth lifeboat came down.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31We were going to meet halfway, eventually.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37The Atlantic is very fast.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39It's a very good search and rescue platform
0:35:39 > 0:35:42and it has quite a lot of equipment on it. The D class is quite small.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46so it's quite good for picking people up close inshore.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48Quite good to have two different types of boat,
0:35:48 > 0:35:50working on a job like that.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52Both crews are heading towards the area
0:35:52 > 0:35:54near where the girls were last seen,
0:35:54 > 0:35:56scanning the coastline as they go.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01We get training on how to search and then, basically,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04the idea is you kind of do a single sweep, a focused sweep,
0:36:04 > 0:36:07and you do it in kind of 15-degree arcs.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11The idea is you're moving your whole head instead of your eyes
0:36:11 > 0:36:13because you can pick out detail a lot better
0:36:13 > 0:36:15than if you're not looking at it directly.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20I suppose it's always quite tense to think, "Where are they?"
0:36:22 > 0:36:25If you can't see them, I think the longer it goes,
0:36:25 > 0:36:26the further you go up the coast,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29you're thinking, "Where are they then? Have we missed them?
0:36:29 > 0:36:30"Shall we go back, shall we check?"
0:36:30 > 0:36:33But you've just got to go on until you find them.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35The two missing girls have been staying
0:36:35 > 0:36:37in a local caravan park with their families.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39Two hours after setting off with their dogs,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42one of the girls called her dad to say they were lost.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Alarm bells start and you're thinking, "Where have you gone?"
0:36:48 > 0:36:52"We've walked down the coast." "Right, towards Aberystwyth?"
0:36:52 > 0:36:55They said, "No, the other way," and that's the way we've always said,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58"Don't go to that way cos we've never been down there.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00"Never go round that corner."
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Then they said, "The water's coming in,"
0:37:02 > 0:37:07We were starting to get worried. I said, "How much is it coming in?"
0:37:07 > 0:37:11They said, "It's up to our knees." So, of course, you start panicking.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14You don't want to think the worst-case scenario,
0:37:14 > 0:37:16you try and stay positive.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18You think, "Right, what can I do to save these girls?
0:37:18 > 0:37:21"What can we do as a team?"
0:37:21 > 0:37:24And you try and tackle that problem as quickly as possible.
0:37:25 > 0:37:26It's the helplessness,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29being stuck there without been able to do anything.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31You see telly, you see what happens when people get cut off
0:37:31 > 0:37:34and the tide's coming in and they're clinging on to the last bit of rock.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37And when she said she was up to her knees, you're just thinking,
0:37:37 > 0:37:40"What's she going to do? Is she going to try and climb the cliff?"
0:37:42 > 0:37:44With the tide still rising, there's a danger
0:37:44 > 0:37:48the girls could find themselves with no more beach to stand on.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51If they'd panicked and started climbing the cliffs,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54things could have gone really badly wrong really quickly.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58The shale and shingle and mud that the cliffs are made up of
0:37:58 > 0:38:01is really quite dangerous to climb.
0:38:08 > 0:38:1020 minutes after receiving the call,
0:38:10 > 0:38:15the Aberystwyth crew are first to spot some figures on the shoreline.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17But there's a problem.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Their larger lifeboat can't navigate
0:38:20 > 0:38:22through the shallow water to the shore.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25We have to be cautious we aren't going too close to rocks
0:38:25 > 0:38:29because there's a chance of the fibreglass hold being damaged,
0:38:29 > 0:38:33so we nudged in as close as we can comfortably.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37With the boat unable to get closer than 30 metres to the beach
0:38:37 > 0:38:41and the New Quay inshore lifeboat still ten minutes away,
0:38:41 > 0:38:43Sam only has one option.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Hey, girls.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02- We're scratched a bit.- OK.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05- Where have you scratched yourself? - There, there.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08When I got across to them, they seemed relieved,
0:39:08 > 0:39:10but they seemed quite quiet and shy,
0:39:10 > 0:39:14so I just sat and introduced myself and tried to put them at ease.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Hello, you all right?
0:39:18 > 0:39:20What's going to happen...
0:39:28 > 0:39:31The girls had started to clamber up onto the rocks.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34Though subdued, they're unharmed.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38When we saw how young they were, it was clear that was the reason
0:39:38 > 0:39:41that the coastguard had said they were as frightened as they were,
0:39:41 > 0:39:44so we were pleased that we were able to find them quickly
0:39:44 > 0:39:48to reassure them, let them know it was OK and get them home safely.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52- Do you want to talk to my dad? He wants to talk to you.- Yeah, sure.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56Hello, sir. I'm from Aberystwyth lifeboat.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58The New Quay lifeboat is coming as well.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01While the crew wait for the smaller boat to arrive,
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Sam confirms to Martin
0:40:03 > 0:40:06that his daughter and her friend are in safe hands.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Well, the tide's come in and it's getting a bit tight.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12We're going to extract for their safety.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16And then we'll get them down and deposit somewhere a bit safer.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20When the lifeboatman actually spoke to me on the phone and said,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23"We've got them. We're bringing them back and everything's fine,"
0:40:23 > 0:40:25yeah, you just think...
0:40:25 > 0:40:28I'm not a great emotional guy but, deep down,
0:40:28 > 0:40:31you're feeling, "Thank God for that!" Yeah.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35There you go. Door-to-door service.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42When 12-year-old Sarah and her friend set off earlier that day,
0:40:42 > 0:40:45they thought a different route would make a nice change.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51My parents told us not to go round the corner
0:40:51 > 0:40:54but we just wanted to adventure really,
0:40:54 > 0:40:57cos we didn't go past the corner before.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00But the sea was kind of going out while we went.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04Two hours later, the girls realised they'd run out of path,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07then the tide started rising around them.
0:41:07 > 0:41:13Where we were, it was crashing on the stones and we didn't know
0:41:13 > 0:41:15if it was going to come in quickly.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20It felt scary that I didn't know where I was.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22We were starting to panic a bit.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25We did feel that the water was coming in
0:41:25 > 0:41:28but we didn't really know what was going to happen.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33When we saw the first lifeboat,
0:41:33 > 0:41:39we were relieved and happy that we phoned the RNLI.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43It's a nice feeling hearing someone saying it's safe.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46Take my hand, if you want. Nice and slowly.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49- OLLIE:- I think if the conditions weren't like they were,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52it could've been worse. I think we got them at the right time.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54I think they called at the right time as well.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56Your shoes will be on the radiators!
0:41:58 > 0:42:04I'm really impressed, yeah, to just say, "We're scared. Let's phone."
0:42:04 > 0:42:08It's the best thing they could have done because, you know,
0:42:08 > 0:42:10the stories are out there and people do die, don't they?
0:42:10 > 0:42:13So, yeah, I'm ever so glad.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16- GEMMA:- Always nice to have a nice happy outcome on a sunny day.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Two lovely young ladies and two lovely dogs.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29On Portsea Island, off the coast of Hampshire,
0:42:29 > 0:42:32Portsmouth is the UK's only island city.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39The Romans used its sheltered harbour to ward off pirates
0:42:39 > 0:42:43and the British Navy have had a base here for over 1,000 years.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48Today, these waters remain a hive of activity.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52Last year, the lifeboat station here responded to over 100 incidents.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56We're getting launched to a real variety of things,
0:42:56 > 0:43:00so broken down boats, sinking boats, kitesurfers, windsurfers,
0:43:00 > 0:43:03capsized dinghies, all sorts of things.
0:43:04 > 0:43:09Like all crews, the team here train regularly for every eventuality.
0:43:09 > 0:43:10On a summer evening session,
0:43:10 > 0:43:14they're interrupted by an unexpected visitor, shouting for help.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16We'd just recovered the boats
0:43:16 > 0:43:19when a member of the public entered the station, saying,
0:43:19 > 0:43:22"My wife and kid and friend's stuck on the mud
0:43:22 > 0:43:25"round the back of the lifeboat station."
0:43:26 > 0:43:28Three kayakers, one a young girl,
0:43:28 > 0:43:31are completely stuck in Langstone Harbour.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34At high tide, the area is full of water.
0:43:34 > 0:43:38At low tide, it becomes a vast oozing lake of mud.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43It's 9pm and the light's fading
0:43:43 > 0:43:47and there's no deep water close enough to get a lifeboat to them.
0:43:47 > 0:43:51- They're just round here. You know the bit of water there?- Yeah.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54That's going to be dry in another 20 minutes' time.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57The problem is, they're on the island just behind there.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59If you go around there,
0:43:59 > 0:44:02you've got 300 yards of mud before you even get to them.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14The Portsmouth station is kitted out with thousands of pounds-worth
0:44:14 > 0:44:16of state-of-the-art life-saving kit.
0:44:16 > 0:44:20But when a mud call comes in, there's one special tool
0:44:20 > 0:44:24they've been using for years that's perfectly suited to the job.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26They refer to me as the Mud Man on station.
0:44:26 > 0:44:31Pete's relationship with mud? He's rather partial to it.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34He rather enjoys going on a mud job, if there is one.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39I'm probably one of the biggest guys on station, but I have the ability
0:44:39 > 0:44:43and a bit of knowledge on walking on mud.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46You all right?
0:44:46 > 0:44:48When you hear there's three people stuck on the mud,
0:44:48 > 0:44:50your mind can go crazy.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55Are they stuck? To what depth are they stuck? Are they on kayaks?
0:44:55 > 0:44:58If they're on kayaks or a board of some description,
0:44:58 > 0:45:01that's a relief, because they're on something safe.
0:45:01 > 0:45:02They're on a safe platform.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06Pete and his crewmate Neil need to pick their way
0:45:06 > 0:45:11through hundreds of metres of mud and silt deposited by tides.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15In places, mudflats can suck in the unwary like quicksand
0:45:15 > 0:45:18and if either of them get both feet stuck above the ankle,
0:45:18 > 0:45:22they could soon be as helpless as the casualties themselves.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28I have, in the past, walked through mud only a foot deep
0:45:28 > 0:45:30to then suddenly take one step forward
0:45:30 > 0:45:33and lose my whole leg into a soft mud hole.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35What you do, is stay away from these.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39They're the mooring blocks, so it'll be soft all the way round them.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42Knowing that area very well, I knew some places
0:45:42 > 0:45:44the mud can be knee, even thigh-deep.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48You all right?
0:45:48 > 0:45:51He kind of has developed his techniques over years
0:45:51 > 0:45:54and then knows exactly where to go and how to do this,
0:45:54 > 0:45:58so he's our kind of secret weapon when it comes to the mud.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01Stay there, guys!
0:46:01 > 0:46:03The mud goes back to when I was child.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05We used to do a lot of cockling, winkling
0:46:05 > 0:46:08and digging bait as a child, as pocket money,
0:46:08 > 0:46:11so, yeah, it goes back quite a few years.
0:46:13 > 0:46:14Sorry, it's tricky, mate.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21After five minutes, Pete and Neil decide on a change of strategy.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29You do fall over, you do end up crawling.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31On occasions, you end up swimming on the mud
0:46:31 > 0:46:34because you need to put your whole body weight there.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40I was quite out of breath. It is a task.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43It is a gruelling, heavy task.
0:46:46 > 0:46:48But it's a case of just getting through it
0:46:48 > 0:46:51and pretty much just knowing your abilities,
0:46:51 > 0:46:53knowing when to stop and take a breather
0:46:53 > 0:46:54and then went to push on.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02It's not the most pleasant smelling of mud.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05It's not like having a mud pack in a spa, that's for sure.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09Pete and Neil crawl through the mud for ten minutes
0:47:09 > 0:47:11before they finally reach the casualties.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20I believe the casualties done the right thing
0:47:20 > 0:47:22in staying where they were with the kayaks.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25If they'd attempted to get off the kayaks and walk back,
0:47:25 > 0:47:29the mud would have been too deep for them to get anywhere.
0:47:29 > 0:47:34The mud can be so unpredictable and very dangerous.
0:47:34 > 0:47:39To confirm, we have two adults and one child of nine years old.
0:47:39 > 0:47:43We're going to keep that individual in the kayak, dry. Over.
0:47:43 > 0:47:47The young girl was getting cold and was frightened.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51But we reassured her that she was safe and well,
0:47:51 > 0:47:53she didn't have to get off the kayak
0:47:53 > 0:47:56and we were going to pull her back to the safety of the shore.
0:47:58 > 0:48:03OK? Don't be afraid, will you? OK, you're nice and safe in there, look.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06As the light continues to fade,
0:48:06 > 0:48:09the only way out is the way they came in,
0:48:09 > 0:48:11but this time, with two kayaks.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16In this situation, to get those casualties back,
0:48:16 > 0:48:21it was 90% brute force, not much skill involved.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26Very hard work. It definitely took the wind out of my sails.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30Right, I'm going to follow as soon as I've got my breath back.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33- No, that's all right. - If I can push you.
0:48:36 > 0:48:41Halfway back to shore, Pete and Neil finally get reinforcements.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46They came out to an area where the mud was still soft
0:48:46 > 0:48:48but not dangerously deep.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50There's four of us now.
0:48:51 > 0:48:56Two behind each one and in your own time, as a pair, just push.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59No rope. Give that a go.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02The less people in those conditions, the better.
0:49:02 > 0:49:04But they were there to help us towards the end,
0:49:04 > 0:49:06which was much welcomed
0:49:06 > 0:49:09because we were getting very tired at that point.
0:49:10 > 0:49:14PANTING
0:49:21 > 0:49:24After half an hour of lugging the kayaks back through the mud,
0:49:24 > 0:49:28the casualties' ordeal is over, as is Pete's.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33Portsmouth mobile, confirm all casualties
0:49:33 > 0:49:38and all crewmembers safely ashore. Over.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42This situation could have been a lot worse.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44If they'd stayed put, they would have got very cold,
0:49:44 > 0:49:46and if they attempted to come ashore,
0:49:46 > 0:49:49things could have been a lot different.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52Oh, exhausted, mate.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58To get them out as quickly as they did was really good teamwork
0:49:58 > 0:49:59and they did a really good job.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02I should go for a swim, shouldn't I, really?
0:50:02 > 0:50:06There are times you do think to yourself, "Why? Why, why, why?"
0:50:06 > 0:50:09Especially when you come out of it and you look at yourself
0:50:09 > 0:50:12and you have to get yourself hosed down.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14Ah!
0:50:15 > 0:50:21So much thick mud that stays in every crevice for weeks.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24Ears, fingernails, nostrils.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28The mud in Langstone, it really does stink.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37Along the coast from Portsmouth
0:50:37 > 0:50:40and just a few miles from the hustle and bustle of Brighton,
0:50:40 > 0:50:43is the more sedate town of Shoreham-by-Sea -
0:50:43 > 0:50:47population, 20,000, nightclubs, none.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54But once a year, in the summer, this sleepy town almost trebles in size,
0:50:54 > 0:50:59as 35,000 fans descend for the Wild Life music festival.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04When the festival's on,
0:51:04 > 0:51:07you see an influx of people jumping off the train,
0:51:07 > 0:51:09coming down from all parts of the country,
0:51:09 > 0:51:11people who haven't been around Shoreham before,
0:51:11 > 0:51:13don't know the local area.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18Two days, people of all ages. The town, it gets manic.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21It's definitely a different place during Wild Life.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23SIREN WAILS
0:51:23 > 0:51:26Saturday night on the weekend of the festival.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28A call comes in from the coastguard.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31I was in bed when the pager went off that night.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34I was fast asleep. It was, like, 1am in the morning,
0:51:34 > 0:51:35something silly like that.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39I knew the festival was on at the time, cos I could hear it still,
0:51:39 > 0:51:41so I had a good idea that it was going to be
0:51:41 > 0:51:42something to do with that.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49A festivalgoer has jumped off a bridge and into the Adur,
0:51:49 > 0:51:52a fast-flowing tidal river that runs through the town.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55You're thinking in your head, "How much have they had to drink?
0:51:55 > 0:51:57"How long have they been in the water for?
0:51:57 > 0:52:00"What sort of state are they going to be in when you get them?"
0:52:02 > 0:52:04Obviously, people have been drinking.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06They've got less awareness.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09They don't necessarily know the dangers they're going to be facing.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11When you've been drinking,
0:52:11 > 0:52:13it can reduce your chances of survival in the water.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15You don't know how long someone's going to be able
0:52:15 > 0:52:17to keep themselves afloat for.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21They're running out of time.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23We've really got to get to that person as soon as we can.
0:52:26 > 0:52:31- RADIO:- Shoreham coastguard, you are tasked to a person in the water,
0:52:31 > 0:52:36last seen drifting south towards the bridge, the Ferry Bridge.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38Police are on scene.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42The man is believed to be a mile upstream from the sea,
0:52:42 > 0:52:44but his exact whereabouts are unknown.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47They were drifting with the outgoing tide.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50That person can only swim and fight for so long
0:52:50 > 0:52:54and that tide will take them, quite quickly, hundreds of yards away
0:52:54 > 0:52:56from where they were initially reported.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58And at night-time, with limited visibility,
0:52:58 > 0:53:03finding a body in water moving this fast requires extra concentration.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06As soon as you get into that river, you need to have your eyes up,
0:53:06 > 0:53:10you need to have lights up, because information can be misleading,
0:53:10 > 0:53:12so we don't know where he's going to be really.
0:53:13 > 0:53:17It's really hard to spot somebody in the water in the daylight,
0:53:17 > 0:53:21let alone in the dark, so you've got to be wary of your speed,
0:53:21 > 0:53:24wary of where you actually think they're going to be,
0:53:24 > 0:53:27and then you've just got to keep a really sharp eye out.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30- RADIO:- Towards the bridge, the Ferry Bridge. Police on scene.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32Moments after launching,
0:53:32 > 0:53:35the crew receive an update from the coastguard.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43Obviously, you've got to remain positive
0:53:43 > 0:53:45and positive that you're going to find him,
0:53:45 > 0:53:47but a lot of them scenarios,
0:53:47 > 0:53:49where they do go under the water, they don't get found.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54Your heart sinks when you hear that someone's head has gone under,
0:53:54 > 0:53:58because it can very easily turn into a search for a body.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03You've kind of got to know your local surroundings,
0:54:03 > 0:54:06where you think he's going to pop up cos, at the end of the day,
0:54:06 > 0:54:08we're not a submarine, we can't look under the water,
0:54:08 > 0:54:12so we're thinking of places where he might pop up
0:54:12 > 0:54:15and we really need to sort of get a move on, get there.
0:54:15 > 0:54:1820 minutes after receiving the call,
0:54:18 > 0:54:20the crew notice activity near the bridge
0:54:20 > 0:54:22where the casualty was last seen.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30When we arrived at the Ferry Bridge,
0:54:30 > 0:54:32we saw somebody waving a torch on top of the bridge
0:54:32 > 0:54:34cos they'd actually spotted the guy in the water.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38And, as soon as we made our approach to him, they lit him up for us.
0:54:38 > 0:54:39There we go, just there.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45It looked like he was pretty close to going under the water.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49- Right, OK, you got it, Chrissie? - Which side?- This side, Chrissie.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51- Port side.- Port side.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54I'll shine him up, OK?
0:54:54 > 0:54:55Two, three metres.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06The chap looked really tired, really tired.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08He was swimming quite lethargically.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11He looked quite distressed, poor chap.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13Steady, one, two, three, go.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17In you get. You all right, mate?
0:55:17 > 0:55:19When you are in the moment,
0:55:19 > 0:55:22pulling in a casualty feels like lifting a feather off the floor.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25It's so easy. There is no weight, as such.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27You just want them in the boat.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30- Go to the boathouse.- Yeah, tell the ambulance to go to the boathouse.
0:55:30 > 0:55:34You all right, mate? Do you want to sit down?
0:55:34 > 0:55:36- How you doing? Are you cold?- Yeah.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38The casualty looked drunk.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41But I don't think he knew what was going on, to be honest with you.
0:55:41 > 0:55:43Shoreham, ambulance on the way to you.
0:55:43 > 0:55:45We've got a casualty onboard. Over.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51He was quite confused. He was asking to go to sleep.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55I think he thought he was having a great time in the river,
0:55:55 > 0:55:59but he didn't realise the dangers he was in.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01He just wanted to go to bed, to be honest,
0:56:01 > 0:56:02like we all do when we've had a night out.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06We wanted to keep him upright
0:56:06 > 0:56:08and keep him talking, keep him conscious,
0:56:08 > 0:56:10keep him talking to us, just in case it got to the point
0:56:10 > 0:56:13where he was going to drift in and out of consciousness.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17I don't think he enjoyed the ride back that much
0:56:17 > 0:56:20because it was a bit bumpy for him but, at the end of the day,
0:56:20 > 0:56:22he's the one who jumped in the river, so...
0:56:22 > 0:56:26Calling Shoreham boathouse for information. One person onboard.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29Shoreham RB, we're coming up the Shoreham slip. Over.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31Can we get some blankets ready?
0:56:34 > 0:56:37I know, we'll get you in the shower in a minute, fella.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40Paramedics are on their way but, in the meantime,
0:56:40 > 0:56:43the crew need to get the casualty warmed up quickly.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46He was still pretty intoxicated.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48We've all had nights like that and, yeah,
0:56:48 > 0:56:51we just had a bit of a laugh about it really.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53We knew he was safe.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56Did you jump in then, mate, did you? Did you jump in?
0:57:02 > 0:57:04People go out and have fun.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06Inadvertently, they do silly things. It happens.
0:57:12 > 0:57:17He was just like your standard drunk guy, but a lot wetter.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19UNCLEAR SPEECH
0:57:21 > 0:57:24The paramedics arrive at the boathouse.
0:57:24 > 0:57:26After a quick assessment, the diagnosis is
0:57:26 > 0:57:29that what this man really needs is a warm shower
0:57:29 > 0:57:31and a good night's sleep.
0:57:32 > 0:57:36That sort of shout could have ended quite badly for him,
0:57:36 > 0:57:37for his family as well.
0:57:37 > 0:57:39If he'd have gone under the water,
0:57:39 > 0:57:41then we would have struggled to find him.
0:57:42 > 0:57:44It's a good job, a good outcome.
0:57:44 > 0:57:46You've made a difference to somebody's life.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48At the end of the day, you've made a difference.
0:57:48 > 0:57:52That is a good feeling when you do bring someone back like that.
0:57:52 > 0:57:54Not a great feeling the next day, when you've got to crack on
0:57:54 > 0:57:58and go to work, but, yeah, it's something I suppose.
0:58:06 > 0:58:08Show me your other hand.
0:58:08 > 0:58:10When you see somebody face down in the water,
0:58:10 > 0:58:13you immediately think worst-case scenario.
0:58:13 > 0:58:14First I'll take the dog.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17He was balancing on the bottom one like a tightrope
0:58:17 > 0:58:19and he was holding on to a dog with one hand as well.
0:58:19 > 0:58:21Are you all right, fella?
0:58:21 > 0:58:26In the grand scheme of things, against an angle grinder,
0:58:26 > 0:58:28you could say he got off lightly.