A LIFEBOAT crew will take centre stage in the next episode of a television programme about sea rescues.

Swanage RNLI will feature in the fourth episode of Saving Lives at Sea tonight.

The documentary series shines a light on the lifesaving work of the RNLI.

The new 10-part series features real rescues carried out by the charity’s volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards around the UK and Ireland.

Gavin Steeden, Helm of the Swanage inshore lifeboat who features in the forthcoming episode, said: “It’s great to see the work we do on TV like this. We’re always grateful for the support we get from the public as we rely on donations to do what we do, so it great that all our supporters now get to see, from the comfort and safety of their own front rooms, exactly how they help us save lives.”

This forthcoming episode, on September 17, sees Swanage RNLI assisting a fallen climber, alongside rescue stories from their colleagues at other stations and beaches around our coasts.

Filming took place over the past year, with lifeboat crews and lifeguards carrying special cameras and welcoming film-makers into their day-to-day life. Rescues from the RNLI’s archives are also revisited, and we get a glimpse into the everyday lives of the thousands of men and women who give up their time to save lives.

Each programme gives a unique insight into the lives and work of the charity’s lifesavers who are needed more than ever before, rescuing thousands of people and saving hundreds of lives around our coastline and on inland waterways every year.

The new series features more dramatic real-life rescue footage, accompanied by emotive testimonials from the volunteer crews, lifeguards and the people they rescue and their families.

Last year alone, RNLI lifeboat crews around the UK and Ireland rescued 9,412 people, saving 211 lives, while the charity’s lifeguards aided 32,207 people and saved 118 lives on some of the UK’s busiest beaches.

Saving Lives at Sea will air on BBC2 on Tuesday, September 17 at 8pm.