noun
A boat carried on a ship or stationed on the coast for rescuing people at sea.
船が沈みそうになったので、乗客は救命ボートに乗り移った。
The ship was about to sink, so the passengers transferred to the lifeboats.
Refers to a life jacket or life vest, worn on the body, while 救命ボート is the boat itself.
Compound of 救命 (kyūmei, 'life-saving') and ボート (bōto, from English 'boat').