I share this article to honor the risky and specialized voluntary work of DGzRS and to show an example of the life-saving value they bring to travelers. They have special unarmed rescue ships and professionally trained crews which are designed to operate in heavy sea conditions - fully integrated into German public rescue landscape. All this is based on donors and voluntary work. So, whenever you think of donating money to a life saving organization think of these brave men and women.
"Sea rescue specialists from German DGzRS (not coast guard) rescued a woman with a medical emergency from a cruise ship. She was taken to a special clinic.
According to the DGzRS, the passenger suddenly lost sight in one eye during the voyage of the cruise ship “MSC Poesia” from Southampton to Hamburg. She needed medical attention as quickly as possible. However, helicopters could not be used due to the low temperatures—there was a risk of icing.
The German Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) in Bremen, operated by the DGzRS, therefore alerted the rescue cruiser “Bernhard Gruben”. At that time, the MSC Poesia was north of the East Frisian Islands. While the rescue cruiser was sailing at full speed, the cruise ship came to meet it. At around 10:30 p.m., the two ships met north of the island of Langeoog. According to the DGzRS, the patient was safely transferred from the 300-meter-long cruise ship to the 23-meter-long rescue cruiser. The rescue workers then took the woman to Hooksiel. Around midnight, an ambulance arrived there at almost the same time and took the patient to a special clinic."
Full article in German language translated with DeepL (free version)