DORSET lifeboat crews working "one of the toughest calls in recent times" are set to appear on national television, as part of the BBC programme Saving Lives at Sea.

The show, now in its fourth series, documents the work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and is set to return to screens next week after a short break.

RNLI volunteer crew from Poole and Swanage lifeboat stations will feature in the episode, which focuses one of the largest searches carried out by the RNLI.

Dave Riley, volunteer helm at Poole lifeboat station, said: "The television series gives a good insight into what it’s like to be at the sharp end of going out to sea.

"No two shouts are ever the same and in this episode, you’ll get to see the emotion and thoughts of the volunteers as they deal with one of the toughest calls in recent times."

Meanwhile, Dave Turnbull, Swanage lifeboat coxswain said: "In this episode you’ll see how a number of volunteers across eight lifeboats from six lifeboat stations worked together in an incident off the Dorset coast.

"When the call comes in and you go to sea you are one team giving it your all."

Each programme gives an insight into the lives and work of the charity’s lifesavers who rescue thousands of people and save hundreds of lives around the coastline and on inland waterways every year.

The new series features more dramatic real-life rescue footage, accompanied by testimonials from volunteer crews, lifeguards and the people they rescue and their families.

Filming took place over the past year, with lifeboat crews and lifeguards carrying special cameras and welcoming film-makers into their day-to-day life. Rescues from the RNLI’s archives are also revisited, and we get a glimpse into the everyday lives of the thousands of men and women who give up their time to save lives.

The episode will air on BBC Two on Wednesday 26 at 8pm.

In 2018, 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.