The RNLI began patrolling beaches in 2001, initially covering popular spots in Dorset and Cornwall. The organization now operates on almost 250 beaches, and over the past 25 years, its lifeguards have responded to 333,330 incidents. This expansion reflects the growing demand for coastal safety services across the country.
Multiple reports indicate the spike in people helped in 2025 is attributed to a combination of good weather and increased interest in seaside pursuits. According to The Guardian - Main UK, Peter Dawes described that statistics vary each year depending on the weather. He noted that last year, with the bulk of summer being reasonably good, a lot of people went to the beach, driving up assistance needs.
The statistics vary each year depending on the weather.
The RNLI is preparing for another bumper year if more people decide to stay closer to home for holidays because of the rising cost of living and as travelling to some long-haul holiday destinations may be less tempting. According to The Guardian - Main UK, Peter Dawes described the other variation that comes into play is a broader economic one, where if many people stay in the UK for holidays, lifeguards become busier. He added that it’s something they’re watching at the moment, with things going on around the world. The RNLI believes the Middle East crisis may lead to an even busier spring and summer in 2026, though how this will directly impact UK beach attendance remains unclear.
According to The Guardian - Main UK, Peter Dawes described other factors that have increased the workload of RNLI lifeguards, ranging from the improvement of wetsuit technology, which allows people to stay in the water longer and not just in the warm summer months, to sporting trends. He explained that at different stages, they watched the development of coasteering and how more people have gravitated towards standup paddle-boards, noting that people find new and different ways of potentially getting in trouble and lifeguards have to find new and different ways of supporting them.
Last year, with the bulk of summer being reasonably good, a lot of people went to the beach.
According to The Guardian - Main UK, Lewis Timson described that the job has changed and is now more about preventing people from getting into trouble rather than rescuing them when they are in difficulty. He recalled that twenty years ago, lifeguards would be putting the flags up and monitoring, but they would probably be doing a lot more rescues and not quite so much of the proactive stuff, like pushing out safety messages. Timson added that they say a good lifeguard never gets wet, but actually, when you’ve got hundreds of people on the beach, the odds are stacked against you and you do end up having to intervene. The exact breakdown of preventive actions among the over 48 million reported interactions is not specified, and it is unknown whether the increase in people helped in 2025 led to a corresponding rise in lives saved or incidents responded to compared to previous years.
According to The Guardian - Main UK, Peter Dawes described that they constantly assess the risks on their beaches, but part of that is how people are going to interact with the beaches, emphasizing that you have to be prepared. The RNLI’s specific measures to prepare for a potentially busier 2026 season, as well as its current funding or resource levels to handle increased demand, have not been detailed publicly.
The other variation that comes into play is a broader economic one. If we get a lot of people staying here for a holiday, then we are busier.
It’s something we’re watching at the moment, with things going on around the world.
We constantly assess the risks on our beaches, but part of that is how people are going to interact with the beaches. You have to be prepared.
Other factors that have increased the workload of RNLI lifeguards range from the improvement of wetsuit technology, which allows people to stay in the water longer and not just in the warm summer months, to sporting trends.
At different stages, we watched the development of coasteering and how more people have gravitated towards the standup paddle-boards. People find new and different ways of potentially getting in trouble and we have to find new and different ways of supporting them.
The job has changed and is now more about preventing people from getting into trouble rather than rescuing them when they are in difficulty.
Twenty years ago, you’d be putting the flags up and monitoring, but you’d probably be doing a lot more rescues and not quite so much of the proactive stuff, the pushing out safety messages.
They say a good lifeguard never gets wet but actually, when you’ve got hundreds of people on the beach, the odds are stacked against you and you do end up ha