LIFEBOAT volunteers from Poole will be starring on the small screen this week, as part of the TV documentary Saving Lives at Sea.

The RNLI crew is set to feature in the penultimate episode of the BBC series, which uses real life footage of rescues captured on helmet cameras.

In the episode on Thursday, January 7, viewers get the chance to watch a dramatic rescue which took place half a mile off Bournemouth Pier in the summer.

A father and his teenaged daughter were saved from drowning after becoming separated from their inflatable dinghy as night approached.

They had been in the water for 40 minutes by the time rescuers were able to get to them, around 10pm on a Sunday night. The search also included the police helicopter.

Dave Riley, helm of the Poole lifeboat which features in the forthcoming episode, said: "It is great that we can showcase the lifesaving work of RNLI volunteers in a TV programme like this.

"In recent months the pandemic has presented us as lifesavers some added challenges, but we’ve continued to maintain a 24/7 search and rescue service.

"Last year, due to covid, fundraising events have been cancelled and we’ve seen a drop in our charitable income.

"Without the generous support and donations from the public, we wouldn’t be able to save lives at sea and it’s great to be able to share what we do with our supporters from the comfort of their own home.

"We need their support more than ever during these challenging times."

Now in its fifth series, the 10-part documentary showcases the lifesaving work of the RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards from around the UK and Ireland.

The series will air on BBC Two on Thursdays at 8pm, as well as being available on BBC iPlayer following broadcast.

Real rescue footage is accompanied by interviews from the volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards alongside the people they rescue and their families.

During 2019, RNLI lifeboat crews around the UK and Ireland rescued 9,412 people, saving 211 lives, while the charity’s lifeguards aided 32,207 people and saved 118 lives on some of the UK’s busiest beaches.