The RNLI At Work During The Busy Summer Season

PADSTOW, ENGLAND - JULY 28: RNLI lifeguards in a inflatable boat patrol as swimmers in the sea enjoy the surf at Booby's near Padstow on July 28, 2010 in Cornwall, England. As more and more Britons are choosing to staycation and spend their holidays in the UK the RNLI - which provides 24-hour lifeboats and seasonal lifeguards dedicated to saving lives at sea - is gearing up to a busy summer season keeping the beaches and waters arond the coast as safe as possible. Funded by charitable donations, the lifeboat crews and lifeguards of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution have saved over 139000 lives at sea since 1824. This summer the RNLI will operates over 150 lifeguard units around the coast of the UK and claims it makes a significant difference to safety on beaches by providing an integrated rescue service from the beach to the open sea. In 2009 RNLI lifeguards saved more than 60 lives and assisted nearly 10,000 people. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)