Life Patrol - On the Banks of the Foyle

Members of Foyle Search and Rescue on patrol around the Foyle

They have become such an integral part of the fabric of the city. The work of Foyle Search and Rescue in Londonderry is the focus of a new BBC One Northern Ireland observational documentary following the work of its specially trained volunteers, whose aim, is to save lives.

Life Patrol: On The Banks Of The Foyle, on Monday, June 11 at 10.35pm, gets exclusive access to the charity’s work as they patrol the Foyle, its banks and its shoreline on the frontline of suicide prevention in the city.

Filmed during the Christmas/New Year period of 2011/12, the one-hour documentary brings viewers out on patrol with the volunteers who are trained in suicide intervention. They need to call upon all their training as they are faced with highly charged emotional situations.


The programme hears the personal experiences of families directly affected by suicide including one family who are helped by Foyle Search and Rescue to look for their missing son. The programme also gets the perspective from a health professional about statistics that show that Northern Ireland has the highest suicide rate, per thousand head of population, in the UK.

And while some of the incidents involving the organisation can have an unhappy ending, the programme looks at the positive impact Foyle Search and Rescue has had in the city and its community. The charity is viewed by many as essentially a unique type of organisation that doesn’t exist in many other places around the world.

Des Henderson, who produced, filmed and directed the programme said:

“Foyle Search and Rescue is a remarkable organisation. Sometimes you can forget these are unpaid volunteers. To see first hand what they do and the positive part they play in the local community makes you realise the important role they play in keeping people safe and saving lives on the Foyle. I hope the programme will give viewers a real insight into the invaluable work they do and highlights their contribution when coming face-to-face with a social problem felt by many communities.”