Olympic duty is not a new thing for the RNLI. Volunteer crew from around the UK and RoI gave vital support to Olympians taking part in the 2012 Games. Three extra lifeboats were used as safety cover during the sailing events, while Weymouth lifeboat and lifeguards ramped up their usual cover to cope with the extra visitors.

Lifeboats raced to the aid of two spectators who were injured after falling on rocks below Nothe Fort in Weymouth. Our crews provided casualty care, marshalled the crowds and secured the scene so that the pair could be airlifted to hospital.

RNLI lifeguards also provided cover for the triathlon and marathon swim events on the Serpentine in Hyde Park, during which they helped one exhausted competitor. Meanwhile, lifeboats on the Thames were on full alert for the inevitable peaks of activity in the heart of the capital. Our direct involvement with the Games was funded by LOCOG but it’s your support and generosity that helped the RNLI build this safety infrastructure in the first place.

The UK has been privileged to be the only country to host the games three times and we’ve been fortunate to have the RNLI’s ring of safety in place for all three events. The Olympics have not always been such a lavish affair: the 1948 London games were very much a case of making the best of it in the face of austerity and post-war rationing. There were no new venues built, no Olympic village and the relay track was created using cinders from domestic coal fires.

That said, the sailing hosted in Torbay was described at the time as the ‘biggest international event in all the 175 years of yacht racing history’ and local lifeboat volunteers certainly played their part. One evening a sudden gale whipped up, causing trouble for two training ships anchored just outside the racing courses. Torbay lifeboat George Shee launched into rough seas and heavy rain to help. On the way, the RNLI crew found the yacht Jinty on fire, following an explosion. Fortunately her crew of nine were on deck at the time and were taken to safety. The lifeboat then continued to the training ships, ferrying officers and cadets between ship and shore, keeping watch until the storm abated in the small hours.

At the time of writing our crews and lifeguards were covering the Paralympics, an event that originated in post-war Britain. We feel proud of the passion and determination shown by our athletes and that of our RNLI family, pulling together to support us all.