RNLI celebrates 25 years of lifeguarding, over 2,000 lives saved

On International Lifeguard Appreciation Day (31 July), the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) marked the 25‑year anniversary of its lifeguard service across the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands. The service now patrols more than 245 beaches and has, since its launch in 2001, saved 2,165 lives, aided over 459,000 people, responded to more than 333,000 incidents and carried out more than 48 million preventative actions.

In Wales, the RNLI lifeguard programme, which began in Pembrokeshire in 2008, has rescued 1,799 people, aided 15,513 individuals and saved 315 lives over the past 18 years, with Pembrokeshire alone accounting for 164 of those rescues. RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor Carl Amos, who has been with the South Pembrokeshire team since its inception, highlighted the long‑standing community impact of the service.