TELEVISION presenter Ben Fogle has teamed up with Swanage lifeboat volunteers for a show highlighting RNLI heroes.

The programme, to be aired later this month on the History Channel, features the Swanage’s RNLI crew and members of the town’s sea rowing club.

They joined Ben to be filmed rowing one of the few remaining non-motored lifeboats, the William Riley, to experience what it would have been like for the early lifeboat pioneers.

Ben, who is a passionate supporter of the RNLI and a keen sailor, said: “Join me lost at sea testing out the RNLI’s Man Overboard Guardian system and following the real life excitement and heroism of the RNLI.”

The programme looks at what it takes to be a lifeboat hero, one of the brave men and women volunteers of the RNLI.

A spokesman for the charity said: “The programme documents the development of the RNLI from rowed lifeboats, cork life jackets and being the first charity in the UK to use street collections as a form of fundraising.”

The show also highlights the modern state-of-the-art technologies used today, including the Tamar class lifeboat.

“To illustrate some of the RNLI’s modern day technologies the documentary features Ben trialling the Man Over Board Guardian system,” said the spokesman.

“This is the 21st century aid to sea safety designed to help save fishermen’s lives at sea.

“He also had the opportunity to try some of the RNLI training first hand when he took part in a capsize drill and experienced a life raft in the recreated rough seas of the RNLI’s sea survival pool.”

The show airs on the History Channel on Tuesday, April 26, at 10pm.