0:00:02 > 0:00:06We're an island nation, drawn 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.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16But the sea's unpredictable.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18It can change in an instant,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21and when accidents happen,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23they happen very fast.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25The sea is a dangerous place.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29You don't respect the sea, the sea will bite you.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32There to save our lives is a volunteer army
0:00:32 > 0:00:35of nearly 5,000 ordinary people -
0:00:35 > 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 > 0:00:54They rescued me, but they also saved a mum, a daughter, a sister, a wife.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55Oh, my gosh.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57To see someone disappear under the water
0:00:57 > 0:01:00right in front of you is brutal,
0:01:00 > 0:01:01it's absolutely horrendous.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Equipped with their own cameras...
0:01:05 > 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 > 0:01:14Right, there's another little wave.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Speeding through the roughest weather,
0:01:19 > 0:01:23searching for people who may only have moments to live.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Can you still hear me?
0:01:25 > 0:01:29For those who risk their lives, it has become a way of life.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34When those pagers go off, it's life and death.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49Every year, the UK and Ireland's lifeboats launch up to 10,000 times.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Here at Ilfracombe, on the north coast of Devon,
0:01:53 > 0:01:58the crew were called out on 77 occasions last year.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01They rescued 55 people from the treacherous waters
0:02:01 > 0:02:03of the Bristol Channel.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07The tides here, huge tides, lots of currents.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Yeah, it will sweep you out, it will take you off, it will cut you off.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14People jumping in the sea when it's, you know, nice and warm outside,
0:02:14 > 0:02:16the sea is still very cold.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19You can go into all kinds of shocks and then get swept against the
0:02:19 > 0:02:22current, so yeah, quite a dangerous place to be, if you're unprepared.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25BIRDS CAW
0:02:27 > 0:02:28A spring day.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31SIREN BLARES
0:02:31 > 0:02:33The volunteers of Ilfracombe are paged for help.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37When the pager goes off and you're in the boathouse,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39it seems like the loneliest place in the world,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43because for the first 30 seconds to a minute, no-one else turns up.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46When my pager went off for that job, I was up a ladder,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48which is about the worst place for it to go off.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Then everyone starts peeling in.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57"Dog." And that was the word that was given to me.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58"What is it?" "Dog."
0:02:58 > 0:03:01What, a dog, dog cut off, dog fallen off?
0:03:01 > 0:03:02"Dog." Oh, OK.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Then you kind of tend to relax a wee bit.
0:03:04 > 0:03:05You're like, "OK, dog, OK."
0:03:08 > 0:03:11And then it came through as people in the water.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Just 100 metres from the station,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16a dog has fallen off rocks into the sea.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Alerted by the shouts of the owner,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21two local men have dived in to try and rescue it
0:03:21 > 0:03:24and are now in trouble themselves.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27As soon as it's updated to we've got PEOPLE in the water
0:03:27 > 0:03:29then the urgency increases, obviously.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31At that time of year the water is very cold,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33it's not somewhere you want to be in,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35unless you're wearing the correct protective clothing.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38So instantly it is the first few people through the door, then is,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41we're going out on that boat and we're going to get there
0:03:41 > 0:03:43as quickly as possible.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45The water was still really cold.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48I'd been surfing the day before and was still in gloves and a hoodie.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53In March, average sea temperatures are at their lowest.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Survival time in the water can be less than ten minutes.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03The crew reach the bay in under two.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Unfortunately, that's still too late to save the dog.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09I saw a dog floating,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and as we started getting closer to the dog, I said to Lee at the helm,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14that we've got two people in the water ahead of us.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16Stay there!
0:04:16 > 0:04:18The two men, a father and son,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22have only been in the sea for a few minutes, but are clearly in trouble.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25We could see that they were going to be extremely cold.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28It was a bit of a giveaway, the way they were holding on to the rocks,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32as well, in that they weren't able to drag themselves any further
0:04:32 > 0:04:34out of the water, which would be your instant reaction
0:04:34 > 0:04:36if you were in water that cold.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38One of the guys that was in the deepest,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40certainly he looked the worst.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42- Get the dog first. - We'll get you first, mate.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Do you want to jump on?
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Helmsman Lee has to navigate submerged rocks to get to the men.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53The boat becomes part of you, you know what the boat's going to do,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55you can see the sea coming in,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58you know how the boat's going to react and you're constantly
0:04:58 > 0:05:00moving the engine, moving the gears,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02just to keep you in that nice stationary position,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05to give yourself the best platform to help these people.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07Right, buddy.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10Jump in.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12I took the boat in as close as I could to them,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15without crushing them against the shore, which was the key thing.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Right, you.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Got you.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Just keep going. Well done, mate.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36The two men are safe from the sea,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38but their condition is concerning the crew.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Right, how are you two doing?
0:05:41 > 0:05:42You're all right, yeah?
0:05:42 > 0:05:44I was worried about the father, because he was very,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47he was kind of purple, he didn't look at all oxygenated,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49he just looked like he was in trouble.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51I gave him a capillary refill check,
0:05:51 > 0:05:55which is you press on their forehead and basically wait
0:05:55 > 0:05:56for that white dot to disappear,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59and that will tell you how quickly their heart's beating.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03I was more worried about he was going to have a heart attack.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06He just looked, at that stage,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08like he'd either had one or was going to have one.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11He was very pale and kind of purply.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13His lips were quite blue,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17so cyanotic, so not too healthy looking.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22Coastguard, just to inform you, sir, that we have two casualties on board
0:06:22 > 0:06:25and one dog. Three crew members, we're heading back.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Do you want an ambulance?
0:06:30 > 0:06:33The crew keep a close eye on the men as they head back to shore.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37I was just aching all over.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40I was just in the boat shaking, I was going blue.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Tony lives in a house overlooking the bay.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46After hearing shouts from the dog's owner,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49he and his son ran over to try to help.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52I know what it's like to lose a pet, I've lost one,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54and it's not nice.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56They're part of the family, aren't they?
0:06:57 > 0:07:00When I first dove in
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and started swimming through the first current, it was easy,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06but until you got further out and then the waves are hitting you,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08it's a lot harder to keep trying to go.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13But once I got the dog, I was just absolutely drained.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15I was just trying to keep afloat.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20I didn't really judge how bad it was.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23So the plan was for me to go in and bring the dog back to my son
0:07:23 > 0:07:24and he was hanging onto the side.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27But every time I was trying to give him the dog,
0:07:27 > 0:07:29the waves were whacking us up against the rocks.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31You couldn't really get a decent grip on it,
0:07:31 > 0:07:33because it's all, like, slate.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Every time you grabbed hold of it, it was cutting your fingers.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38I was so tired, I was just hanging on for dear life.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43It could have been a hell of a lot worse, if it wasn't for them.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49If it had been late at night or there was no-one there,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51I think it would have possibly had a different outcome.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53I think they could have lasted a little bit longer,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55or a couple of more people would have got in
0:07:55 > 0:07:57and the situation would have got hugely worse.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07Are you all right?
0:08:10 > 0:08:12I'm going to grab you under the arm, all right?
0:08:12 > 0:08:14If it happened again,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16you'd probably think about it a little bit more.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19But I'd still probably do it.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22I know that's not the right attitude to have,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24but it's the chance you take, innit?
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Although it was too late to save the dog,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30after a hot cup of tea back at the station,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Tony and his son made full recoveries.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38For the Ilfracombe crew, it's two more lives saved,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41to add to almost 400 saved across the UK and Ireland
0:08:41 > 0:08:43by lifeboats every year.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46I've experienced the birth of my kids,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49I've experienced happy occasions, weddings,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51but there's no other feeling like it.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53To reunite a child with their parents
0:08:53 > 0:08:56or to take somebody back ashore that thought
0:08:56 > 0:08:57they were in real dire trouble,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59or to pull somebody out of the water,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01there's no other feeling like it.
0:09:01 > 0:09:02Just rewarding,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05knowing that they're going to wake up the next day
0:09:05 > 0:09:08and you're the reason that they're waking up the next day,
0:09:08 > 0:09:09that you've helped them.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12It's not just that one person, it's their group of family,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16their group of friends. You've saved a whole community, if you like,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18from distress.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20It gives you a nice warm feeling,
0:09:21 > 0:09:26that you have made that difference between life and death.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Though the vast majority of lifeboat stations are on the coast,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39the busiest is here in central London, on the River Thames.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Every year, the crew at Tower respond to over 500 emergencies.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Tower has so many calls
0:09:47 > 0:09:53that it is one of just four stations in the country crewed 24/7.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54Hello, Coastguard to Tower Lifeboat,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56that's us finished our small exercise
0:09:56 > 0:09:59and we're now shut down and back at Lifeboat Pier. Thanks.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03Chris is one of ten full-time crew members who staff the station
0:10:03 > 0:10:07round-the-clock, alongside 55 volunteers.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12All the full-timers have to know the river really intimately.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15But that takes a bit of time to build up that knowledge,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18and when you're starting to the job, it's very daunting.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20In the heart of the capital,
0:10:20 > 0:10:24the Tower crew are confronted by life and death situations
0:10:24 > 0:10:25on a daily basis.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Many of their call-outs are to people in trouble in the water,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32and response times are critical.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36To help them, they're equipped with the fastest lifeboat in the fleet -
0:10:36 > 0:10:39the E class can reach speeds of over 40 knots.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43We have a remit where we've got to be able to reach any part on our
0:10:43 > 0:10:45patch within 15 minutes, which...
0:10:45 > 0:10:49The speed of the boats, we're doing up to 45 knots in some cases,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51we can easily achieve that.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55We have an elevated number of
0:10:55 > 0:10:58despondent individuals on bridges,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00be it mental health care issues,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04maybe people that are suicidal that are on the bridge for a cry of help.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09We do visit a fair few times the bridges,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12but we literally get everything and anything thrown in between.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14It can be anywhere on the river.
0:11:20 > 0:11:21It's 6pm.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26A call comes in from the Coastguard.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28A man has been seen entering the water.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31The crew launch in under 60 seconds.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35There are some jobs where you don't have to
0:11:35 > 0:11:37necessarily go hell for leather.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41But when you've got that person in the water,
0:11:41 > 0:11:42literally seconds count.
0:11:42 > 0:11:48You know that somebody could die or has died,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and you've got to get there quickly.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56The tide was ripping in, a good 3-4 knots.
0:11:57 > 0:11:58It was cold.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03It's November, and the 75th call to a person in the river
0:12:03 > 0:12:05they've received since January.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09The crew have no idea how or why he's in the water,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12but they know that with the river temperature under 9 degrees,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14he may only have minutes to live.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17That sudden gasp, the uncontrollable gasp.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Your heart rate goes up, your breathing rate goes up.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24That initial exposure to cold shock
0:12:24 > 0:12:28can cause a heart attack or an incapacitating stroke.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Somebody can start drowning the minute
0:12:33 > 0:12:37they hit the water, and drowning doesn't take long.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42To see someone disappear under the water right in front of you,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46where three, four seconds earlier, you probably could have
0:12:46 > 0:12:49effected a rescue is brutal, it's absolutely horrendous,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52and there's nothing you can do about it.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55You beat yourself up, but there's nothing you can do.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00So, yeah, very much our goal to get there in good time.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Less than two minutes after getting the call,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10the crew reach the location
0:13:10 > 0:13:14the man was seen entering the water, but he's disappeared.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Even on the Thames in the middle of London,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21you'd expect, with all the streetlights
0:13:21 > 0:13:24and the ambient lighting, that it would actually make it easier,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28but when you've got water that's disturbed and the reflections
0:13:28 > 0:13:32are constantly warping, it's very hard to pinpoint someone.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37You're also starting to work out in YOUR mind
0:13:37 > 0:13:42where that person will be by the time you get there,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46because the tide will have carried that person away
0:13:46 > 0:13:49from where they entered the water.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54We did an immediate hasty search...
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Couldn't find anything.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Conducted further search, sticking to the north shore,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03where he'd initially been spotted,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06and still nothing found.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10They're not in the vicinity.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14The tide was running quite fast, so we said, right,
0:14:14 > 0:14:19we will search as far as Blackfriars rail bridge.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Nothing to see, nothing to see, searchlights out,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25really doing our level best to find this individual.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Could you chuck us in close to the barge, mate?
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Just have a wee look down the edge of the barge.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32It's now been five minutes since the call came in.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35As the seconds tick by and the search area is widened,
0:14:35 > 0:14:39the chances of finding the man alive are falling.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Had he been swimming and shouting and in a good condition,
0:14:43 > 0:14:48we would have seen that and heard that, but we heard nothing,
0:14:48 > 0:14:53so we realised by the amount of time that had elapsed,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56that this might not have a good outcome.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Here... Here, here, here, here, here.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10- Back, back.- Back two foot, back two foot.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Got him.
0:15:17 > 0:15:18Got a belt.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Go towards the front, if you can get him.
0:15:23 > 0:15:24No?
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Steady that. One, two, three.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Come on! One, two, three.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Keep going. Keep going.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Keep going, come on, fella.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41When you've got someone that's not actively helping you
0:15:41 > 0:15:46get them into the boat, so that horrible term of a dead weight,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48it is REALLY difficult.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50And depending on why the person's ended up in the water
0:15:50 > 0:15:53in the first place, we do have occasions where people
0:15:53 > 0:15:56weigh themselves down, which all makes it really, really tricky.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58One, two, three.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Very quickly the assessment showed that he was not breathing.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22There's definitely an element of hope,
0:16:22 > 0:16:23because if you didn't have that element of hope,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26then you wouldn't start in the first place.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34It's like looking at that casualty having only half a percent chance
0:16:34 > 0:16:37of survivability, even half a percent chance...
0:16:38 > 0:16:42..you'll try it, because you have hope that that half percent
0:16:42 > 0:16:44is enough to bring that person back.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50Even though statistically it's working against you,
0:16:50 > 0:16:51you've got to have hope.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55At Tower Station,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59an ambulance team is waiting to take the casualty to hospital.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04When he left us, he had electrical heart activity,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06so technically alive.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Despite the crew's best efforts,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15he was later pronounced dead at hospital.
0:17:21 > 0:17:22No.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25No. No.
0:17:29 > 0:17:30It's sad.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39People that say lifeboat crew don't cry tell lies.
0:17:39 > 0:17:40Lifeboat crew cry.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43You know, we are human beings,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46we're not superheroes, we're human beings.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48We're just like anybody else,
0:17:48 > 0:17:53just exposed to situations where most people wouldn't be exposed to.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Definitely changes your perspective on life.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06Being exposed to death like that,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09it helps make you value what you've got,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and how quickly you could potentially lose everything.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17The way I view life is quite different,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20as a result of my exposure to death.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26You do sort of remember the ones that, you know,
0:18:26 > 0:18:27we've not been able to save.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32The way we deal with it, as a station,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34that's where we pull together even closer.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40We have to move on, and our focus then is the next job,
0:18:40 > 0:18:45making sure that we can do our best to save life.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58The popular seaside town of Minehead lies on the northern coast
0:18:58 > 0:19:00of Exmoor National Park in Devon.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06The lifeboat station here was established at the request
0:19:06 > 0:19:10of local residents, and has now been running for nearly 120 years.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15It's the California of the West Country!
0:19:15 > 0:19:18You can climb in the morning and surf in the afternoon.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22We've got wonderful hills and spectacular coastline.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26In between shouts, Minehead crew member Jim keeps himself busy
0:19:26 > 0:19:28with his adventure sports company,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31and can usually be found close to the station.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34I'm on call, yeah. We're on call all the time,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37so the station is literally over there, at the harbour.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40So, if the pagers go off,
0:19:40 > 0:19:44then, yeah, we just run, get on our bikes or jump in the car and go.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47I've been on the crew for about seven years now.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50A bit of a latecomer, but there comes a time in life
0:19:50 > 0:19:54where you want to give something back and, yeah, that's what I did.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Oh. Sorry, we've got to go.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58DLA pager, launch request from the Coastguard.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03When the Minehead pagers do go off,
0:20:03 > 0:20:07the crew here launch into the fast-flowing waters
0:20:07 > 0:20:08of the Bristol Channel,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11and guard a stretch of coast so rugged
0:20:11 > 0:20:14it's earned the nickname Little Switzerland.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16The coastline between here and Plymouth
0:20:16 > 0:20:19contains some of the highest sea cliffs in England.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23I think, overall, the height of the slopes coming straight down
0:20:23 > 0:20:25into the sea there is about 800 feet.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29To cover their challenging patch,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32the crew here have two inshore lifeboats -
0:20:32 > 0:20:36a highly manoeuvrable D class for accessing the bays and inlets
0:20:36 > 0:20:40along their shoreline, and a larger Atlantic B class,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42for when the most important thing is speed.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51March in Minehead is low season.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Ten o'clock on a blustery Saturday night,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59the pagers bring the crew running to the station.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Just gotten into bed and than the pager went off,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07so it was a scramble to get down to the station.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10The job was a missing person search, was the brief that we had.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15The crew have been called out by the coastguard.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19A woman in her 20s has been reported missing.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22She hasn't been seen for over five hours and there are fears
0:21:22 > 0:21:24that she was heading for the high sea cliffs
0:21:24 > 0:21:26along this stretch of coast.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28She was reported as a despondent female.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31She was potentially suicidal.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33It's not a great prospect.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41The mood amongst the crew is always just acutely professional,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43that's the best way I can describe it.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45We all know what we might be faced with.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48Both of Minehead's lifeboats are launched.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52The coastguard have tasked them to scour the coastline to the west.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54What's the search plan, have we got one?
0:21:57 > 0:21:58Righty-o.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01We knew the coastguards were searching the land,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05so our focus is on searching areas that they couldn't possibly see
0:22:05 > 0:22:07from where they are.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12The process of scanning the shoreline in the dark
0:22:12 > 0:22:14is quite challenging at some points,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17because if you're out for quite a long while,
0:22:17 > 0:22:21I think your mind plays tricks on you.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23Mate, shine your light on those rocks.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26That's not a person, is it? Is it a white splodge? Oh...
0:22:26 > 0:22:30If you're shining the light on the rocks, you know, if they're wet,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33sometimes the reflection,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35you sort of think you've seen something
0:22:35 > 0:22:37and then you have a closer look and, you know,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40it's just a wetness or the shapes of the rocks.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45The crew cover a mile and a half of coastline
0:22:45 > 0:22:47with no sign of the missing woman.
0:22:47 > 0:22:48Beyond this point,
0:22:48 > 0:22:53the cliffs rise up 80 metres in the air and are covered in thick shrub.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Nobody's going to make their way out here.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Suddenly, they spot what seems to be a light onshore.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18The light kept going out,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21so we didn't actually know what it was at that point.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26The small D class lifeboat heads in closer to investigate.
0:23:32 > 0:23:33Hello!
0:23:33 > 0:23:36- Yeah, I can hear it. - FAINT VOICE IN DISTANCE
0:23:36 > 0:23:39- Yeah, yeah.- They are shouting "help", they are shouting "help".
0:23:40 > 0:23:44It's the missing woman, desperately trying to attract their attention.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47There's so much tree cover,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50had it not been for the light of a mobile phone screen,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52we wouldn't have seen her at all.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Stay where you are!
0:24:00 > 0:24:04They may have found the casualty, but now the crew have to reach her.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08It's a pathless wilderness that's almost impossible to penetrate.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Before that, they have to get onshore,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14but strong winds have whipped up the sea.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18- It's pretty big for a beach landing. - Oh, Christ, yeah.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Normally, you know, in some conditions you can do
0:24:21 > 0:24:23a beach landing and just beach the boat,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26but there was way too much of a swell for it.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Right, I'm going to do a veering down here.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35To get the boat safely to shore, the team opt to veer down -
0:24:35 > 0:24:39a tricky manoeuvre, even in calm conditions, in daylight.
0:24:39 > 0:24:45Veering down is where you drop the anchor and power back on the anchor,
0:24:45 > 0:24:47with the anchor holding you.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50The theory being that the boat's always anchored
0:24:50 > 0:24:52with the anchor in a safe position,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54beyond the back of the breaking waves.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56- That's holding, I think. - Perfect, boys.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58That's holding, mate.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Holding the boat on the anchor line,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02they manage to get within a few feet of the beach,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05but someone still has to make the last stretch to shore.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Charlie had done the veering down, Richard was on the helm, so, yeah,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13I was the spare part, so I said, I'll go, yeah.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16It was quite a big swell and so we had to definitely wait for
0:25:16 > 0:25:21the right moment, otherwise he would have got wiped out by the swell.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23- Yeah, that will do, won't it?- In.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25OK.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Obviously you've got your radio and you know that they're still there,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32but you're physically leaving
0:25:32 > 0:25:35the hand on the back of your life jacket type comforts.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Yeah, so always a bit nervous, yeah.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44And as he went in, one wave did sort of dump it on him.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55When I eventually got on shore,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57there was only really one way up to her location
0:25:57 > 0:26:00and that was up the waterfall, which was a kind of stepped waterfall,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04so it was sort of ten-foot rocky steps.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Number two, there's some difficult climbing to do.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16I'll make my way up. Just so you know where I am, over.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24After six minutes of climbing, Jim reaches the missing woman,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26only to discover she isn't alone.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Hello?
0:26:28 > 0:26:32The Lynemouth Coastguard teams had tried to come in from above,
0:26:32 > 0:26:36and one of their Coastguards had made it to her location,
0:26:36 > 0:26:38which was incredible, actually.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40So fair dos to him.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42OK, you're going to get very wet.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Grab that hat, mate, I think that might be your hat.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46My name's Jim.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48When I arrived, he was with the casualty.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Had a quick assessment,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55said she was walking and cold,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59but otherwise unharmed, which was fantastic.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Lots of thanks
0:27:02 > 0:27:06and apologetic as well, actually, that we were all in that place.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09But I said, "Look, don't worry about it, it's great here!"
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Could do with a machete in here, actually.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18There was a bit of Indiana Jones about the whole thing.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21It was just a ludicrous place to be.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Jim has no idea how the casualty got there,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26but now it's his job to try to get her out.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29There's a step over there, but then...
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Your feet are there.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34My feet are here. This is the next step.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38You know, you couldn't move,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42the gaps between the brambles were sort of one foot wide.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Well done, good work. Then we'll step out here onto these dry stones.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50OK.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55We've got dry suits with big wellies and so on, and she just had
0:27:55 > 0:27:59normal clothing and shoes and was cold,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02and it's a rocky, bouldery beach.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05So are you a bit chilly? Shall we put this hood up?
0:28:05 > 0:28:06Yeah.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10OK, so your feet will get wet here but you'll stand up OK.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12OK, let's step down, go for it.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14One step at a time, there's no rush.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16There you go, jump aboard.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20Half carry, half cajole, and then threw her onto the boat!
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Yeah, there's no dignity, you know, not for any of us.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31The casualty is transferred to the larger Atlantic lifeboat,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34to speed her to a waiting ambulance onshore.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36That was definitely a life saved, yeah.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40An individual wouldn't last the night in what she was wearing,
0:28:40 > 0:28:45in that situation, in that environment, yeah.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48In the end, it was a cry for help,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51so, yeah, she was a lucky lady.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02The Coastguard had a nice little boat trip as well.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09It was a good outcome, because they're not all like that.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27The small village of Moelfre nestles on the north-east coast
0:29:27 > 0:29:29of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Moelfre used to be a busy fishing village.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35Today, the locals are more likely to be pulling in the tourists
0:29:35 > 0:29:37who flock to this part of the coast.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41Get the ice cream ready, it is going to be a nice day, I think.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Sisters Gwenda and Dwynwen run the Siwgwr Lwmp Cafe.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50You've got the rocks where you get the fishermen,
0:29:50 > 0:29:51they like to go,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54which is good for us, the early-morning breakfast fishing.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Many Moelfre residents still have a connection with the sea.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02Dwynwen has been volunteering for the lifeboat crew
0:30:02 > 0:30:04for the last 18 years.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08I park my car directly across the road,
0:30:08 > 0:30:13facing the station, so when I get called out,
0:30:13 > 0:30:18I literally stop what I'm doing here, apologise while running out,
0:30:18 > 0:30:22jump in the car, and I can be in the station within one to two minutes.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26So if you think July, August time, it's still pretty cold in that sea,
0:30:26 > 0:30:28the quicker we are, the better.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38On a windy July day, a walker on local cliffs has dialled 999.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42ALARM BLARES
0:30:43 > 0:30:46The caller has spotted a kayak out at sea.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48One person's on board,
0:30:48 > 0:30:52a second is in the water beside him and appears to be in trouble.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56You don't know how long they've been in the water for.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58They might have been in the water for five minutes,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01or they might have capsized and been in the water
0:31:01 > 0:31:02for more than 20 to half an hour,
0:31:02 > 0:31:04and that's when you start getting worried.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08If it is anybody in the water, we go to them first.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10OK.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12Are they conscious, are they unconscious,
0:31:12 > 0:31:15are they drowning, potentially?
0:31:16 > 0:31:19- You happy?- Yeah.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21It was my first person in the water that I was going to,
0:31:21 > 0:31:27and I wanted to get out quickly, because I know how vital it is.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32When we get there, can you get a position, as soon as?
0:31:32 > 0:31:36When you have to rush, I have to take a deep breather,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39because if I'm in a panicky nervous situation, I'll shake,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42my hands will shake, and that's when I won't do things properly.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47A person in the water is the highest-priority call out,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50but the crew have a few moments to collect their thoughts,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53as their inshore D class lifeboat is prepared for launching.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56It's probably only about three, four minutes,
0:31:56 > 0:32:00but standing around waiting, it was, it did feel...
0:32:00 > 0:32:03Because somebody was in the water,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06and that's the first thing you think of, "Come on, I need to get out."
0:32:11 > 0:32:14It was directly a mile off the lifeboat station,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17so we knew roughly where it was.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20It was a straight get over there and take them out.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28The waves were slightly higher than what they were close inland,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32which was the worrying part, because it was getting choppier.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45After a two-minute sprint, the crew locate the two kayakers.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Can you advise if any medical assistance, over.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14A kayak had capsized and one of them had managed to get back on
0:33:14 > 0:33:18and the other one couldn't get back on, and every time he was trying,
0:33:18 > 0:33:20it would capsize again.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23The wind was blowing the kayak further out to sea
0:33:23 > 0:33:25and it was an open sea.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35I'll put this down, so you can use it as a step.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37After nearly 20 minutes in the water,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39the casualty is visibly exhausted.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44- One foot in that.- I'll try.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48It's difficult.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50I can't get my leg up there.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52Fine... Oh!
0:34:03 > 0:34:04- I'm in.- There we go.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09If he would have been swept further out to sea,
0:34:09 > 0:34:11I would say another ten minutes,
0:34:11 > 0:34:15and he probably wouldn't have the energy to swim.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17He wouldn't probably have the energy,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19if he would have caught up with the kayak,
0:34:19 > 0:34:21he wouldn't have had the energy to hold on.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23I just couldn't pull myself up in there.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27OK, what we're going to do, we're going to get you in...
0:34:29 > 0:34:33When your body gets cold, it kind of goes into shutdown,
0:34:33 > 0:34:37and the slightest or the smallest things are really hard,
0:34:37 > 0:34:42as in to get into the kayak, or to even think
0:34:42 > 0:34:45about how to get into the kayak in the first place.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47Because of the power of the wind,
0:34:47 > 0:34:49they would have been separated again.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56- You were drifting back really quickly.- Yeah.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59We asked him if he was OK and he said, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine,"
0:34:59 > 0:35:02you know, but he was shaking.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04You're going to get wet.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06Oh, we're past that.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Are you OK, you look very cold?
0:35:10 > 0:35:13Get right into that pod, it'll shade you a little bit.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24He hadn't even realised how cold he was.
0:35:33 > 0:35:38I don't think they realised at all how much danger they were in
0:35:38 > 0:35:41until they probably... on the route back where we said,
0:35:41 > 0:35:43"You know, you were very lucky."
0:35:43 > 0:35:46Where they are actually said, "Yeah, I think we've realised that now."
0:35:48 > 0:35:53You get a good feeling knowing that that person's able to go home
0:35:53 > 0:35:55and carry on the rest of their life as normal.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58That was a nice half an hour shout.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00Yep. I like shouts like that.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02- Do you, that are quick? - The dream team!
0:36:02 > 0:36:04It was down to pure luck of somebody
0:36:04 > 0:36:06actually seeing them on the headland.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10It's that split second between being in a safe zone
0:36:10 > 0:36:12and being in the danger zone,
0:36:12 > 0:36:17which is the wind and the tides taking them further out.
0:36:17 > 0:36:18Get in, Robert.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24I would say if the lifeboat hadn't have been there
0:36:24 > 0:36:28in the quick response that it was, then he would have died.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42Back at Tower Station in London,
0:36:42 > 0:36:45they don't just deal with the highest number of people
0:36:45 > 0:36:48in the water, the river they guard is also one of
0:36:48 > 0:36:50the most dangerous stretches in the UK.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55The Thames is littered with obstacles
0:36:55 > 0:36:59from boats, barges and bridges, to all manner of flotsam and jetsam,
0:36:59 > 0:37:01and the rubbish catchers -
0:37:01 > 0:37:04floating metal cages designed to clean it up.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09People think of it as a river running through a city.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12They don't realise that it's fast-flowing.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15There are all sorts of things in this river that can catch you out.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24And when those oblivious to the dangers come into contact
0:37:24 > 0:37:27with the river - intentionally or not -
0:37:27 > 0:37:32it's the Tower crew who are paged to pick up the pieces.
0:37:32 > 0:37:37The initial information we got for this call was a person in the water,
0:37:37 > 0:37:40in the area of HMS Belfast,
0:37:40 > 0:37:43and it was as simple and as vague as that.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55At a top speed of over 40 knots,
0:37:55 > 0:37:57they're less than three minutes away.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03Time is very, very much not on our side,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06because people rarely survive in the water more than 10 or 12 minutes,
0:38:06 > 0:38:07and they've gone.
0:38:07 > 0:38:12You've got the currents of the tide carrying you into places
0:38:12 > 0:38:16that you have no control over, into moorings, other vessels.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Arriving on scene, there's no sign of anybody in the river,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25but up ahead, a water bus has stopped midstream,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28their lights trained on one of the river's rubbish catchers.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35A rubbish catcher is a floating device.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37So if you imagined a closed C,
0:38:37 > 0:38:41the back of the C is actually made of a mesh,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44so it allows water to go through, but any debris,
0:38:44 > 0:38:46rubbish actually gets trapped against the grill.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51As they near the catcher, a figure comes into view.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53OK, got visual, my side.
0:38:53 > 0:38:54Right.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59On first sight of the casualty, he is not in a good position.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02He was holding on for grim death
0:39:02 > 0:39:06to the chain that connects the rubbish catcher to the mooring buoy.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09Because of his location, if he lost his grip,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13the only place he's going to go is inside the rubbish catcher, and
0:39:13 > 0:39:15the chances of him surviving that are very, very slim.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18The man jumped into the river to help someone
0:39:18 > 0:39:20he thought was drowning.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22Now he has ended up just inches from disaster.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25He's clinging on to the chain with one hand,
0:39:25 > 0:39:27with his other he's gripping something in the water below.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31Myself and Stuart leant over the side
0:39:31 > 0:39:34and encouraged him to give us his hand.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37He was quite nervous to do that because he was,
0:39:37 > 0:39:41at that point he was still holding on to something physically strong.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47He was very distressed and kept repeating about this other person,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50"I've tried to save him, I've got this other person."
0:39:50 > 0:39:53It was very clear he didn't have a person.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57The figure the man thought he was rescuing turned out to be a large
0:39:57 > 0:39:59floating piece of wood.
0:39:59 > 0:40:04He was significantly distressed that there was still someone else there.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08We got one hand, one of his hands with big Stu.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11He's got hands like a JCB digger,
0:40:11 > 0:40:15and I think once we had one of Stu's hands on him,
0:40:15 > 0:40:17we were never going to let him go.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21I'll alert the coastguard we have contact with the individual.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25You've got the weight of the person, plus all his wet clothing,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28so he's wet, heavy, slippery...
0:40:28 > 0:40:32So you've got a bit of a challenge to get him into the boat.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36INAUDIBLE RADIO MESSAGES
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Thank God for jeans with belt loops, I would say.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46They're a very useful purchase.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49- RADIO:- They've got one casualty from the water.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51To hold on to that chain,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54with that flow of water pushing on you,
0:40:54 > 0:40:57the fact that it's very cold water as well,
0:40:57 > 0:41:00and for the length of time that he's been in the water and also holding
0:41:00 > 0:41:04onto this lump of wood, that takes quite a Herculean effort.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08He was a foreign gentlemen, I believe he was Italian.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12He was very confused and I think that may be several things.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16One, cold water immersion had confused him
0:41:16 > 0:41:19and also my Italian's quite poor.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22After an onboard assessment by the crew,
0:41:22 > 0:41:27the confused but now secure casualty is taken to a nearby pier to be
0:41:27 > 0:41:29transferred to an ambulance.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33Another life saved by the Tower crew could easily have been another lost
0:41:33 > 0:41:35to the Thames.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37I've had a couple of shouts for rubbish catchers before,
0:41:37 > 0:41:39and both were for body recovery.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41He was very lucky, yeah.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44He should have done the lottery, I think, yeah.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52From Britain's busiest inland waterway to the world's busiest
0:41:52 > 0:41:54offshore shipping lane.
0:41:57 > 0:42:02Dover's position, commanding the straits between England and France,
0:42:02 > 0:42:05means it has been a commercial and naval centre for millennia.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10It became an important military hub for the Romans
0:42:10 > 0:42:12after their invasion of Britain.
0:42:12 > 0:42:141,000 years later, Dover was appointed
0:42:14 > 0:42:17one of the Cinque Ports of Kent and Sussex,
0:42:17 > 0:42:21with a commitment to the Crown to provide ships and sailors
0:42:21 > 0:42:22in defence of the realm.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28These days, it's invaded by over 12 million passengers
0:42:28 > 0:42:31and 2.5 million lorries every year.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37For the Dover crew, that makes it one of the most challenging
0:42:37 > 0:42:39environments around our shores to work in,
0:42:39 > 0:42:43and means even the most routine call-out can lead to lives
0:42:43 > 0:42:45being put in the path of danger.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47HORN HONKS
0:42:47 > 0:42:51So, we're just departing Dover, the Port of Dover's inner harbour,
0:42:51 > 0:42:52heading out the western entrance.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Quite a scary place.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57Obviously Dover is the gateway to Europe, as it's called.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01Some 120 sailings a day, ships,
0:43:01 > 0:43:04and some 450 ships a day go through the lanes.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06It's a bit of an unusual situation,
0:43:06 > 0:43:09you don't get this anywhere else in the UK,
0:43:09 > 0:43:12and most lifeboats don't see big ships like this, like we do.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15So it's very challenging.
0:43:15 > 0:43:20Dover port is probably like a service station on the M25.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23If you imagine trying to cross the M25 at rush-hour traffic,
0:43:23 > 0:43:27that is kind of the scenario that we go through off the Port of Dover.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31For safety, vessels heading through the Channel have to use different
0:43:31 > 0:43:33lanes - predetermined zones
0:43:33 > 0:43:36depending on the direction of travel.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39Although it reduces the risk of collision, it can't eliminate it.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44It is like dodgems, it is quite scary.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47You're a little boat and suddenly a container ship's really close to you
0:43:47 > 0:43:50and it's coming past and you think, "Wow, that is massive."
0:43:50 > 0:43:53And, of course, because they take a long, long, long time to stop,
0:43:53 > 0:43:56so if anyone's in their way,
0:43:56 > 0:43:59they can't just stop.
0:43:59 > 0:44:00It's in the summer months,
0:44:00 > 0:44:04when the school holidays are in full swing and the ferries crammed to
0:44:04 > 0:44:07capacity, that the shipping lanes are at their busiest.
0:44:07 > 0:44:08SIREN BLARES
0:44:10 > 0:44:13An August day, the Dover crew are called out.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17A boat and one of her crew are in trouble.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20We had a yacht with engine failure,
0:44:20 > 0:44:22and a person that was seasick on board.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25Seasickness can be a real terrible illness.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28If you are vomiting, you're losing your fluid as well.
0:44:28 > 0:44:32The severe seasickness can cause muscle cramps and things like that.
0:44:32 > 0:44:36But it's not the sea sickness that's the crew's biggest worry.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38The yacht has broken down 12 miles out,
0:44:38 > 0:44:40in the middle of the shipping lanes.
0:44:40 > 0:44:43With no power, they're a sitting duck.
0:44:43 > 0:44:45If you can't move in the shipping lane,
0:44:45 > 0:44:46you're sitting there wallowing.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49You've also got some very big container ships and other vessels
0:44:49 > 0:44:51coming down the lanes where they were.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55There were lots of ships' targets out there on the radar,
0:44:55 > 0:44:58seeing little objects that may not appear on radar,
0:44:58 > 0:45:01and obviously the site of eye from a bridge of a large ship,
0:45:01 > 0:45:03it's not very easy to see them.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12An hour after the alarm was raised, the crew find the stricken yacht.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17On board are Chris and Sue.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24Good afternoon!
0:45:24 > 0:45:26Hello there.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28- You're the one feeling a little bit sick, yeah?- Yeah.- All right.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31- My name is Richard.- Hello. - Nice to meet you.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34I'm just going to check you over a little bit, OK?
0:45:34 > 0:45:36She was getting quite frightened because they'd been out there
0:45:36 > 0:45:39for some time. The seasickness was making her a bit scared.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41You're absolutely fine now.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50Chris and Sue have been married for 12 years.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54They're on the last leg of a two-week sailing trip to Holland.
0:45:54 > 0:45:55So you had a good time out, then?
0:45:56 > 0:45:59You cut the air with a knife, if you could describe it for the better.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03Sue wasn't talking to me. You could see that she had lost
0:46:03 > 0:46:06all the enjoyment of the last fortnight in about ten minutes.
0:46:06 > 0:46:08You're perfectly all right now.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11I was more frustrated and angry at what's going on,
0:46:11 > 0:46:12because I'm thinking,
0:46:12 > 0:46:16"Why did it happen now after we've just done 300, 400 miles
0:46:16 > 0:46:19"and not a problem with the engine at all?"
0:46:19 > 0:46:23And it happened to be in the busiest part of the straits.
0:46:23 > 0:46:24Don't worry.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28It was definitely in the back of my mind that we were entering the
0:46:28 > 0:46:30shipping lanes, we had no
0:46:30 > 0:46:32real means of power
0:46:32 > 0:46:35and it wouldn't take much for a ship
0:46:35 > 0:46:36to hit us.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47What they're going to do, they're going to tow down.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50I believe, they're waiting for this MSC to go past.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53And then we're going to take you astern of them
0:46:53 > 0:46:55and get you into Dover.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58Once they've picked their moment,
0:46:58 > 0:47:01the crew need to haul the yacht through 12 miles
0:47:01 > 0:47:04of heaving shipping lanes all the way back to Dover.
0:47:06 > 0:47:10The main thing is to make sure the tow line is on and secured.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17As a lifeboat, we're capable of about 25 knots.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20Towing small yachts, we can only get about six knots.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22So that's quite slow for us.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26Obviously, the lifeboat then starts to wallow a bit, pitch and roll.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30Not a comfortable experience by far.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33You watch the hours go past and keep a good lookout.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36A few games of I Spy.
0:47:45 > 0:47:46All good.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55I wanted to kiss the ground when I got back!
0:47:55 > 0:47:57It was lovely.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00They saved my boat on the day and basically saved my marriage
0:48:00 > 0:48:03because Sue wouldn't have been doing anything I like doing now.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06OK.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08You'll always feel a sense of awe, doesn't matter what it is.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12It could be anything, because you've been out and achieved something.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16We're volunteers, we sometimes have to put our lives,
0:48:16 > 0:48:18not so much on the line in general,
0:48:18 > 0:48:20but we have to go out of our way to help someone.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23So you always get that feel-good factor, no matter what the job is.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32Just ten miles along the coast from Dover,
0:48:32 > 0:48:36Walmer's first lifeboat station was established in 1856.
0:48:38 > 0:48:4077 years ago, the Walmer lifeboat
0:48:40 > 0:48:43took part in perhaps the largest and most famous
0:48:43 > 0:48:45seaborne rescue in history.
0:48:54 > 0:48:59Walmer was one of 19 lifeboats from stations along the south and east
0:48:59 > 0:49:03coasts of England that joined a flotilla of little ships heading to
0:49:03 > 0:49:07France. They were to play a crucial role in Operation Dynamo,
0:49:07 > 0:49:11the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force
0:49:11 > 0:49:13from Dunkirk in 1940,
0:49:13 > 0:49:15in the face of the advancing German army.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20While most of the lifeboats were crewed by naval personnel,
0:49:20 > 0:49:22two from Margate in Ramsgate
0:49:22 > 0:49:25were manned by the lifeboat crews themselves.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29In all, 338,000 men were rescued,
0:49:29 > 0:49:33of which over a third were evacuated by Dunkirk's Little Ships.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40After the war, Walmer was, for a while, one of the busiest
0:49:40 > 0:49:43lifeboat stations in the country.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49These days, the Walmer crew get called out up to 30 times a year
0:49:49 > 0:49:52and guard a patch that includes
0:49:52 > 0:49:54one half of a very well-known local landmark.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57The famous, well, White Cliffs of Dover,
0:49:57 > 0:49:59the cliffs start at Kingsdown,
0:49:59 > 0:50:01going round to Dover.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04Everyone would know the White Cliffs of Dover.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07So, obviously, we've got the issues of rock falls,
0:50:07 > 0:50:09people being cut off by the tide.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11Within our area, we do have quite large shingle banks
0:50:11 > 0:50:14and then bouldered areas and then chalky white cliffs.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16So there's quite a varied coastline.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19We're not an easy station to launch and recover.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23Some stations are afloat and can be in the water within seconds.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26Our time, we're normally within the water well within ten minutes.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32A sunny April day in Walmer.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35All the lifeboat crew are at the station.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39We actually had our annual car wash,
0:50:39 > 0:50:41so it's turned into quite a big event.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44We wash in the region of sort of 100 to 120 cars
0:50:44 > 0:50:46in front of the lifeboat station.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48SIREN STARTS
0:50:48 > 0:50:52The cars must take a back-seat when lives are in danger.
0:50:52 > 0:50:53We have duty DLAs.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56Obviously, their pagers should go before ours.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58But they all went off together, which to us means,
0:50:58 > 0:51:00it is what we call immediate launch.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02For someone it is life and death.
0:51:03 > 0:51:04As the crew launch,
0:51:04 > 0:51:07all they know is that the coastguard has called them out to someone in
0:51:07 > 0:51:11the sea at Kingsdown, at the northern edge of the White Cliffs.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13As soon as we heard it was a person in the water,
0:51:13 > 0:51:15it's a serious shout because we know
0:51:15 > 0:51:17that every second that passes in the water,
0:51:17 > 0:51:19is a second where they're clinging on to their life and we need to
0:51:19 > 0:51:21be there immediately.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23It's less than two miles away,
0:51:23 > 0:51:27but even a top speed of 35 knots may not be fast enough.
0:51:27 > 0:51:32Conditions for a person in the water can change in a matter of seconds.
0:51:32 > 0:51:37From being non-hypothermic to hypothermic and then obviously into
0:51:37 > 0:51:40unconsciousness and ultimate drowning.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45The water temperature at that time of year is actually quite cold.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48The sea isn't at its warmest until September, October time
0:51:48 > 0:51:51in this area. In April time, it's below 12 degrees.
0:51:51 > 0:51:52So whilst the sun may be out,
0:51:52 > 0:51:54the water temperature is certainly not warm.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58Five minutes after launching, the crew arrive on the scene.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00There's no sign of anyone in the water,
0:52:00 > 0:52:03but there is a lone kayaker who seems in distress.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08It became clear that he was actually in the water and he'd only just
0:52:08 > 0:52:13recovered himself onto the kayak seconds before we arrived on scene.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16The kayaker was quite panicky, but at the same time quite quiet.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19He was evidently very, very cold and wet.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22He did have a dry suit on, but unfortunately that wasn't zipped up.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25His entire body had been submerged in water.
0:52:25 > 0:52:26The casualty was quite confused
0:52:26 > 0:52:29and didn't know exactly at that point what had happened.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31He wasn't sure whether he went under the water,
0:52:31 > 0:52:33whether he swallowed any water.
0:52:33 > 0:52:3731-year-old William capsized while out fishing.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40He's already suffering serious side effects from exposure to the cold.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45There's a moment where you don't really feel the cold any more.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48I think that was the worrying moment.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51I was just sitting there, feeling quite peaceful,
0:52:51 > 0:52:54slightly warm, actually, and tired.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58I just wanted to close my eyes.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Confusion is definitely a sign of hypothermia.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05He was shivering quite dramatically at that point.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08He was borderline very, very cold, or hypothermic.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12I was thinking
0:53:12 > 0:53:15about everybody I know,
0:53:15 > 0:53:17especially about Vivian,
0:53:17 > 0:53:20my girlfriend, who got me the kayak for my birthday.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23I thought, "Well, God, she is going to be distraught to know
0:53:23 > 0:53:27"she got me the ticket to heaven."
0:53:27 > 0:53:30The crew need to get William back to shore and warmed up
0:53:30 > 0:53:32as fast as possible.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36But as they assess him, he reveals another injury.
0:53:36 > 0:53:38When we got him onboard,
0:53:38 > 0:53:40we found out he had a fishing hook stuck in his hand
0:53:40 > 0:53:44and the line was still attached to the fishing rod.
0:53:45 > 0:53:46It went straight in,
0:53:46 > 0:53:49pretty through the palm of my hand and
0:53:49 > 0:53:53was kind of holding me towards the kayak.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55Surprisingly, it wasn't causing him a lot of pain,
0:53:55 > 0:53:57unless he actually looked at it.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59It wasn't bleeding heavily,
0:53:59 > 0:54:02so at that point it was really about taking his focus away from the hook.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06If we hadn't managed to get to the casualty,
0:54:06 > 0:54:08then he would have struggled to get ashore,
0:54:08 > 0:54:10particularly with a hook in his hand.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12We were one of his only hopes, really.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15Out of the water and out of danger,
0:54:15 > 0:54:17William is already beginning to recover.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19En route back to the lifeboat station,
0:54:19 > 0:54:23the casualty regained a little bit more conversation with us
0:54:23 > 0:54:25and it became clear there was a second person
0:54:25 > 0:54:27that should have been on board the kayak
0:54:27 > 0:54:30that wasn't there when we recovered the kayak or the kayaker.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33We were quite alarmed to hear that.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38William had been out with a friend, also called Will, on his kayak.
0:54:38 > 0:54:42After they capsized, the current pulled his friend away.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45They decided his best chance was to swim for the shore,
0:54:45 > 0:54:47several hundred metres away.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50Being there sitting on the kayak and seeing my friend struggle in the
0:54:50 > 0:54:55water for a good 45 minutes was extremely worrisome.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57I felt totally useless.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00I was extremely worried for him.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02At one moment, he stopped swimming.
0:55:02 > 0:55:04At that moment, I thought my friend lost consciousness.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07Maybe five minutes from the moment he stopped moving,
0:55:07 > 0:55:10he stood up on the beach.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12My concern was then he couldn't necessarily
0:55:12 > 0:55:13get to a point of safety.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15The coast line is quite rocky in that area
0:55:15 > 0:55:17and it's not easy to walk across.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22Lee must now decide if the priority is the casualty they have on board
0:55:22 > 0:55:25or the missing friend, who may be in even greater danger.
0:55:27 > 0:55:31I took the decision as helmsman to recover that casualty on board to
0:55:31 > 0:55:35our lifeboat station before we then considered the second casualty.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38As they hand William into the care of the shore crew,
0:55:38 > 0:55:41there's still no word about his missing friend.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44The crew launch again immediately.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47But it's now been at least an hour since he fell into the water.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52A potential missing person is one of the worst-case scenarios for us.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55If someone hasn't got eyes on that casualty,
0:55:55 > 0:55:57they may well have slipped under the water.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59In which case, they're going to drown.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03In my mind, I told myself, "Will is OK, Will is OK."
0:56:05 > 0:56:08As the crew race back towards the search area,
0:56:08 > 0:56:09an urgent update comes in.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13We got to around Kingsdown area,
0:56:13 > 0:56:17we got a call on the radio from the coastguard saying that the second
0:56:17 > 0:56:22casualty had made it back to St Margaret's beach and called 999.
0:56:28 > 0:56:33One of the best piece of news they told me is that they found him and
0:56:33 > 0:56:35that he was fine and that a car was going to pick him up.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39I felt extremely relieved.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45Back at base, the crew can at last
0:56:45 > 0:56:48return to washing the cars of Walmer.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51A very eventful car wash.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53And once obviously finished and packed up,
0:56:53 > 0:56:56we proceeded to the pub to have a sociable drink.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07After his chilling experience in the Walmer waters,
0:57:07 > 0:57:12William's hand has healed, but he hasn't been back to sea yet.
0:57:12 > 0:57:16I've still got a good memory for my next kayaking,
0:57:16 > 0:57:21my little fish hook kayak accident,
0:57:21 > 0:57:25which will remind me to be prepared next time, I suppose.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28And despite being marooned in the shipping lanes off Dover...
0:57:28 > 0:57:31- Good afternoon.- Good afternoon!
0:57:31 > 0:57:34..Chris still loves to go sailing
0:57:34 > 0:57:36and Sue still joins in.
0:57:36 > 0:57:40I never thought she'd get on a boat again, let alone a sailboat,
0:57:40 > 0:57:41let alone on a boat with me.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45We've just come back from Boulogne from a trip.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48Sue herself, I think she's got more confidence in the boat
0:57:48 > 0:57:51and obviously the support of the lifeboat and bits and pieces.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54If things are going wrong, they're there to help you.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04I'd never had anything similar to that.
0:58:04 > 0:58:07You don't have any experience to fall back on.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12We just started screaming for help.
0:58:13 > 0:58:15It was...
0:58:15 > 0:58:16..frightening.