The German Maritime Search and Rescue Service
1 - Emergencies keep happening on the open sea. A ship can get into distress. Sometimes it can no longer continue under its own power, its cargo has shifted, or it has sprung a leak. A sailboat may run into trouble far out at sea, or reckless swimmers or small boats may be swept away. 2 - It can also happen that someone on a ship or an offshore oil platform is seriously injured or falls ill. In the Wadden Sea, hikers are sometimes caught by the incoming tide. In emergencies like these, the men and women of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) come to the rescue. They head out to sea to bring injured or endangered people to safety.
3 - The DGzRS has a rescue fleet of 60 vessels in total. These include 40 smaller lifeboats and 20 ships known as sea rescue cruisers. All the boats and cruisers are equipped with the latest technology, including medical facilities and firefighting equipment. The deployment of the lifeboats and sea rescue cruisers is coordinated from the control center in Bremen. 4 - The cruiser "Bernhard Gruben", for example, is 23.10 m long, 6 m wide and has a draft of 1.60 m. The ship can reach 23 knots. It is based in Hooksiel. A ship’s speed is measured in knots; one knot equals one nautical mile per hour. Since a nautical mile is 1.852 km, 23 knots is equivalent to a speed of 42.6 km/h.
5 - The lifeboats carry an auxiliary boat. The auxiliary boat of the "Bernhard Gruben" is called "Johann Fidi". It is 7 m long, 2.60 m wide, and has a draft of 0.60 m. It can travel at 18 knots. The auxiliary boat is much smaller than the rescue cruiser, but also more maneuverable. It can get closer to other ships. 6 - The crews of the rescue cruisers consist of 8 to 12 people. By tradition, the captains of these vessels are called "Vormann." The DGzRS currently employs 180 people as full-time rescue service staff. Around 800 volunteers also work as sea rescuers. 7 - Citizens also volunteer on shore to support the rescue service. The DGzRS was founded on May 29, 1865. In 2023, the sea rescuers were called out 1,940 times in total. They helped more than 3,500 people. Since the DGzRS was founded 155 years ago, more than 85,000 people have been rescued.
8 - All of DGzRS’s work is funded exclusively by voluntary contributions and donations. You’ll find little collection boats all over the North Sea, where people can donate money.
Photos: DGzRS
Research tasks:
- What emergencies can occur at sea or in the Wadden Sea? (Give examples)
- Who helps in emergencies like these?
- What are the ships used to rescue people in distress at sea called?
- A sea-rescue cruiser carries small boats. What are they called?
- What is the captain of a sea rescue cruiser called?
- How many men and women work for the DGzRS?
- How many people have been rescued from great danger since the DGzRS was founded?
- Where does the DGzRS get the money for its work?
The “Bernhard Gruben” lifeboat is 23.10 m long and 6 m wide
The newest lifeboat was named ERICH KOSCHUBS in May 2021.