Surviving the Storms

‘There’s water in the engine,’ he said. ‘The engine has stopped.’
This changed everything…

Surviving the Storms brings together incredible first-hand accounts of rescues carried out by the remarkable RNLI lifesavers.

In this collection of heart-wrenching and life-affirming missions, we hear blow-by-blow descriptions of some of the most dramatic rescues from the last twenty years. We experience these through the eyes of the lifesavers as they must make life-or-death decisions, face fierce conditions and tackle difficult and dangerous situations. But we also see the optimism, passion and courage that is crucial to a successful rescue, and experience the genuine joy felt by the volunteer crews and lifeguards in being a part of something so important.

Each remarkable story is one of bravery, jeopardy and an unrelenting commitment to battling the forces of nature and saving every life. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the RNLI – men, women, husbands, wives, fathers and mothers, all forming one big crew determined to protect perfect strangers. They are ordinary people doing the truly extraordinary.

About the author

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea, providing a lifeboat service, lifeguards and safety education. Like generations of selfless lifesavers before them, today’s volunteer crew members are ready to rescue around the clock, all powered by passion, talent and kindness.

The charity’s founder, Sir William Hillary, vowed that ‘with courage, nothing is impossible.’ His vision of forming a rescue service funded by voluntary donations became a reality in 1824 and, almost 200 years on, the charity has saved more than 142,500 lives. Everyone who gives their time or support to the RNLI is a lifesaver.