Bournemouth man sets Guinness World Record as longest serving lifeguard

You may have thought that the world’s longest-serving lifeguard was patrolling a sun-kissed beach in California, Australia or South Africa.

But on a rainy spring day in the UK, the Guinness Book of Records held a ceremony on Bournemouth Pier to present the title to Chris Lewis, one of the city’s Royal National Lifeboat Institute lifeguards.

Lewis, 74, started working at the Dorset resort at the age of 16, meaning he has been helping visitors and local swimmers for 58 years.

“It’s the best job in the world,” he said. “You work on the beach, which I love, and you help people. What could be better?”

Lewis said his friends often teased him that most of his friends were half his age – “now they say they’re a third my age.”

He is still fighting in good shape. RNLI lifeguards must swim 400 meters in the pool in less than 7.5 minutes and the first 200 meters in less than 3.5 minutes. They must swim 25 meters underwater in a pool and 25 meters on the surface in less than 50 seconds, and run 200 meters on the beach in less than 40 seconds.

Swimming fitness tests are still quite comfortable for Lewis. Throughout the winter, he swam 3,000 meters in the sea every month without a wetsuit. However, minor hip problems resulting from rugby injuries can slow him down. “To try to help with this, I practice yoga,” he said.

Lewis’ lifesaving career began in 1965 when a police officer noticed he was an avid swimmer and suggested he work on earning lifesaving badges. The following year, at the age of 16, he began volunteering as a lifeguard.

This was in the days before the RNLI deployed lifeguards and for years Lewis patrolled the beaches as a member of the Royal Lifesaving Society of Great Britain and a local government ‘sailor’. It became part of the RNLI lifeguard service in 2001 when the charity began organizing beach patrols for local authorities.

The RNLI currently patrols over 240 beaches across the UK and Channel Islands, and last year it was reported that it saved 86 lives and assisted 19,979 people.

Lewis laughed when asked if he had seen many changes. RNLI equipment in 2024 includes jet skis, rescue boats and quad bikes. “When I started we had a T-shirt, swimming trunks, a swimming cap, a coat if we were lucky, and a rescue tube [used to keep a person in trouble afloat]. No overalls, boots or helmet. It was completely different.”

Chris Lewis (far left) and other paramedics being inspected by the Mayor of Bournemouth on Boxing Day 1966. Photo: Sam Frost/The Guardian

His most memorable rescue came in 2010 when three children – a 16-year-old girl and her two younger brothers – got into trouble while swimming off Durley Chine Beach, west of the pier.

He said when winds from the southeast combine with a vigorous spring tide, people could be pushed along the shore. That day, the older girl was thrown into the spurs, leaving her with nasty cuts. One of her brothers was hanging on the spurs, while the third child was being “tossed” by the waves.

Lewis swam out through the rescue tube and managed to get all three back to the beach. “When I came out, everyone on the beach stood up and started clapping. I will never forget it.”

He said saving lives helped him maintain his mental and physical health. In addition to being a lifeguard, he was also a teacher for 28 years, and when he left teaching, he experienced anxiety and depression. He believes his training regimen and time spent at the beach have alleviated the condition: “I’m very grateful.”

Currently, he helps train young rescuers. “I tell them to be honest and friendly and you’ll get a good crack of the whip,” he said.

Over the years, Lewis has been a volunteer and professional lifeguard, conducting hundreds of rescues and thousands of lifeguard patrols. He says it’s better to give advice that will prevent people from getting into trouble than to carry out a rescue operation. “I’d like to survive the entire summer without having to save anyone.”

If Lewis stops racing any time soon, someone else may come along who can break his record. His wife of 49 years, Elaine Lewis, 70, has been a lifeguard in Bournemouth for 50 years and still competes in lifeguarding competitions.

Two of their children also worked as lifeguards, and their grandchildren take part in training. “I’m a little younger than Chris. You never know,” Elaine Lewis said. “But I’m very proud of Chris. He did great.”