Rip Current Survivor Euan Gray Fronts RNLI Campaign as 193 Drowning Deaths Hit UK in 2024
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 19
Rip Current Survivor Euan Gray Fronts RNLI Campaign as 193 Drowning Deaths Hit UK in 2024
1 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 19
Euan Gray, 22, has become the face of the RNLI’s annual Float to Live campaign after surviving a rip current at Tynemouth in May 2025 by floating on his back until rescuers arrived.
Gray and his 19-year-old brother Andrew avoided swimming against the current at Longsands beach; Andrew reached nearby rocks, while Cullercoats RNLI crews rescued Euan after bystanders raised the alarm.
The RNLI said it has recorded about 50 cases in 11 years where people used the float position to save themselves from drowning, urging swimmers in trouble to stay calm, tilt their head back and float.
The brothers are running a half marathon every day in May to mark the anniversary and raise funds for their rescuers, while Gray says he wants to spread the technique that saved his life.
The campaign targets a persistent risk: the RNLI said 193 people died in accidental drownings in 2024, with 84% male and men aged 20 to 29 the most affected group.
If a father's simple lesson saved his sons, why isn't this life-saving skill mandatory in all UK schools?
Could AI and coastal tech predict deadly rip currents, making beaches safer before swimmers even enter the water?
Beyond telling people not to panic, can we actually train our brains to stay calm in a life-or-death crisis?