Episode 1

For many lifeboat crews, volunteering runs in the family, stretching back generations, while for others working so closely together means crewmates can often become like a second family. At Swanage lifeboat station, two brothers Matt and Gavin, following in their father’s footsteps, race to rescue a pair of novice paddleboarders before they are swept out into the busy shipping lanes.

On the north east coast, the tight-knit crew at Withernsea scour the North Sea searching for a local fisherman, and friend of the crew, who is missing at sea. Meanwhile on the opposite side of the country in Blackpool, a volunteer’s wedding day is interrupted by an urgent call for help.