A Pembrokeshire rescue features in the first episode of the RNLI’s new podcast to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its beach lifeguards. Pembrokeshire Lifeguard Matty recalls the day he saved the life of holidaymaker Joanna at Newgale Beach.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has launched a five-episode podcast to mark 25 years since the rollout of its lifeguarding service – featuring conversations with lifeguards, those who have been rescued and exploring how they have been making beaches safer since 2001.

The podcast, titled We Are Lifeguards, recently launched to coincided with the lifeguards’ return to beaches.

In the first episode of ‘WE ARE LIFEGUARDS: Saving Lives on the Beach With the RNLI‘ - you can hear a personal account by Pembrokeshire RNLI Lifeguard Matty Mcleod and holidaymaker Joanna Hicks who was rescued on Newgale Beach in the summer of July 2023.

Joanna got into difficulty and lost consciousness in the sea, her life was in danger. Thanks to his RNLI training, Lifeguard Matty knew what to do – and sprinted to the rescue.

The beach is an unpredictable place. The RNLI lifeguards in Pembrokeshire have been helping to keep beaches safer since 2008. But what makes a good lifeguard? Episode one of ‘WE ARE LIFEGUARDS’ gives a breakdown of the incredible and harsh training lifeguard teams across the UK undergo to maintain the safety of beachgoers over the summer months.

No one appreciates this training more than Joanna, who reveals how a holiday dip in the sea turned into a battle of survival.

For the last 25 years, RNLI lifeguards have been making beaches safer across the UK. They share safety advice, provide first aid to those who need it and save the lives of those who get in trouble in the water.

During that time, they have made more than 48 million preventative actions, attended more than 330,000 incidents and aided more than 440,000 people on beaches around the UK and the Channel Islands.

In Pembrokeshire, RNLI beach lifeguards have saved 164 lives, leading the number of lives saved in Wales. New figures also show that RNLI lifeguards in Pembrokeshire have aided a further 15,513 people and rescued 1,799 since the service began in 2008.

Peter Dawes, General Manager of Lifeguard Operations, said: “Since our lifeguarding service began in 2001, we’ve seen more people visit our beaches and enjoying the water.

“Our highly trained, capable and skilled lifeguards spend their time talking to people, sharing our safety advice and educating visitors about the dangers. As well as carrying out rescues and first aid.

“The launch of this podcast not only marks our 25th anniversary, but also the return of lifeguards to beaches ahead of what will be another busy summer. If you are heading to the coast, be sure to choose a RNLI lifeguarded beach,” he added.

You can listen to We Are Lifeguards at the following link: https://rnli.org/WeAreLifeguards or wherever you find your podcasts.

To find your nearest RNLI lifeguarded beach, visit: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeguarded-beaches