RNLI Lifeguards Jersey pre-season training at St Brelade's beach

Nationally, the RNLI is celebrating its 25th anniversary of RNLI lifeguarding. First piloted in south west England on 15 beaches, the service has since expanded to reach over 90 lifeguarded beaches in the region and 245 nationally.

As the charity marks these milestones, its Jersey lifesavers are training ahead of starting patrols for the 2026 season on Le Braye at St Ouen’s for the Easter school holidays.

Since 2011, RNLI lifeguards in Jersey have saved 23 lives and aided 4,846 people through rescues, interventions and delivering casualty care. They have responded to 4,007 incidents and carried out more than 600,000 preventative actions.

Beach lifeguarding had long been established in Jersey before the RNLI service was introduced, with lifeguards from all over the world working in Jersey keeping locals and visitors safe under the service run by the States of Jersey. In 2011 the RNLI took over the service and now provides opportunities for locals to become professionally trained lifeguards, creating a sustainable, locally-staffed and managed service.

Operating on St Ouen’s, St Brelades Bay, Plémont and Grève de Lecq during the peak of the summer season, the charity’s lifeguards work alongside the Jersey RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews at St Catherine and St Helier.