The volunteer lifeboat crew of Lough Ree RNLI will prominently feature in a forthcoming episode of the BBC TV series ‘Saving Lives at Sea’, due to air on Tuesday, October 15, at 8pm.
Now in its fourth season, the ten part documentary series, which showcases the lifesaving work of the RNLI, features real rescues carried out by the charity’s volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards around Ireland and the UK.
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.
The episode features Lough Ree RNLI in two call outs, firstly as they come to the aid of two fishermen when their boat swamped during a fishing competition. They then come to the aid of an elderly man who had taken ill on Inch Bofin, with public exposure of the life saving work performed by the volunteer lifeboat crew set to gain a vast audience.
“It’s great to see the work we do receiving television exposure like this. We are 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,” Tom Bradbury, Helm of the Lough Ree lifeboat crew, remarked.
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.
Lough Ree RNLI was one of the busiest lifeboat stations in Ireland in 2018 with 72 call outs.
