Lifeboatmen have shared their survival secrets with TV adventurer Bear Grylls to prepare him for his bid to transit the Northwest Passage in an ice-breaking RIB later this year.

Grylls and his team have been learning how to right a capsized RIB, pack, fit and inflate a lifejacket and survive in a liferaft in lifelike conditions.

The venturesome VIP said: ‘We came to the RNLI because I know the charity operates a world class lifeboat service and trains ordinary people to do extraordinary things – saving lives.  There’s no better place to do our training.  To benefit from the RNLI’s of expertise is invaluable for us.’

Tom Templeton, RNLI Sea Survival Training Manager said: ‘We try and make the sea survival training as realistic as possible so crews can practice what they’ve learnt in the classroom in conditions they might face in real life. Today Bear and his team got a glimpse of some of that training and I hope it stands them in good stead for their expedition.’