The 1,400 volunteer sea rescuers rescued more than 4,000 people and 155 animals from distress and brought them safely back to land. The KNRM lifeguards on the four Dutch Wadden Islands also had a busy summer with 843 rescue missions. They saved 49 swimmers from drowning who were in danger while swimming due to strong surf or treacherous currents off the beaches.
The doctors of the KNRM Radio Medical Service (RMD) were called 936 times in 2022 and asked for medical advice. Most of these requests, which are made when a crew member falls seriously ill or is injured on the high seas, naturally came from commercial shipping.
Sea rescuers save stranded orca
In addition to the numerous successful rescue operations in the Netherlands last year, there were also several cases in which the rescuers arrived too late or were unable to do anything. There were fatalities in a canoe accident on Lake Veluwe, two plane crashes near Hoek van Holland and over the Zwarte Meer, two accidents involving charter boats on the Wadden Sea and a collision between a speedboat and a water taxi.
Successful operations include the rescue of four sailors whose yacht had capsized in the North Sea. Swimmers were also rescued from dangerous currents, and the KNRM assisted in the complex rescue of 18 seamen from the cargo ship "Julietta D", which had collided with another ship off the Dutch coast and sprung a leak. Another special operation was the rescue of an orca stranded near Cadzand, the KNRM said in a statement yesterday.
KNRM fleet needs to be renewed
Last year, important steps were also taken as part of the renewal of the KNRM fleet. The first lifeboat of the eleven metre long Van Wijk class, the "Riet and Jan van Wijk", was put into service. Construction of the next seven Van Wijks will begin next year. And a new 7.5 metre rib named "Chaterina D" is expected to be in the water for its first sea trials in the summer.
Like the DGzRS in Germany, the Dutch KNRM is also funded by donations and therefore relies on the support of private donors. There are 45 KNRM rescue centres along the Dutch coast and on the major inland waterways such as the IJsselmeer, the Markermeer, the Randmeren and the Zuid-Hollandse en Zeeuwse Delta. The rescue centres are available 24 hours a day. They are managed by the Coastguard Centre in Den Helder. There are currently 78 boats stationed at the centres, ranging from small ribs to large rescue cruisers, which are operated by around 1,400 volunteers.
