Monday, August 24, 2009

The National Sea Rescue Society

Rescue Paul Lederhausen

Rescue Runner


Rescue Paul Lederhausen. That's the name of the boat on the top photo. Paul Lederhausen is a business man and when he turned 70 years old, his wife donated the money necessary to buy the boat, hence the name. I took this photo at Årsta Havsbad when the National Sea Rescue Society visited the Hårsfjärden Bay. The second photo shows the rescue runner, a specialized scooter that saves the man in the water. The non-governmental organisation has been active for more than 100 years. They don't get any government funding, but are still responsible for 70 per cent of all sea rescues in the country! They have around 1700 volunteers and some 160 rescue stations around Sweden. When they get a call after an accident or incident they are very quick to respond, and are usually on their way within fifteen minutes. If you would like to know more the society has some information available in English.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wonderful photos and a great work they must do.

Leif Hagen said...

Great action snaps, Steffe! How far outside of Stockholm are they? What kind of fundraisers do they do to support themselves? The local volunteer firefighters here held a large and successful ice cream social.

Olivier said...

Belles photos, et une bonne idée cette association pour sauver des vies en haute mer

brattcat said...

Great photos, Steffe, and interesting info. Thanks.

VP said...

Stunning images of these brave volunteers and their incredible boats. I think our professional rescuers have nothing like these.
A great tradition to be proud of.

Allison said...

You've got a thing for babes and boats, don't you Steffe?!

Lowell said...

What a great organization. That boat looks very powerful! It also looks rather cold - or the water does.

Clueless in Boston said...

Bravo to all the volunteers who work in sea rescue in Sweden. It's very interesting that the government initially had no interest and funding still is primarily from private sources.

Don and Krise said...

What a wonderful thing to do and a worthwhile organization.