Last year, rescue services on the Flemish coast, had to turn out 92 times to rescue people who got into trouble at sea. The figure is almost twice as high as in 2022, says Flemish ports minister Annick De Ridder (nationalist).
Home News
Sea rescue services under pressure as tourists ignore dangers of the sea
Colin Clapson
Published:
Three recognised Flemish coastal rescue services operate on the Flemish coast: Vloot in Ostend, Ship Support in Nieuwpoort and the Volunteer Sea Rescue Service in Blankenberge. They rush into action when anybody goes missing in the sea and also when a vessel is in trouble.
Almost twice as many rescues
Last year, the 3 rescue services had to turn out 92 times to search for a person in trouble in the sea. The figure is almost twice as high as in 2022. In 2023, there were 76 incidents.
‘This is a striking call for action,’ believes Flemish lawmaker Jasper Pillen (liberal Open VLD), who requested the figures. 'There is an urgent need to make people more aware of the dangers. More and more young people are finding their way to our beaches. Mostly, they come from big cities and are not aware of the dangers of the sea! Raising awareness of the dangers and risks is necessary to take the pressure off our rescue services.'
The figures do not include interventions by lifeguards deployed on swimming beaches. ‘Because lifeguards work for coastal municipalities, Minister De Ridder is not responsible for figures on these interventions.’
Fewer interventions for vessels in distress
What the minister did share are the figures for the number of vessels that got into trouble at sea and for which the recognised rescue services had to turn out. These figures show a slight decrease in comparison with 2023 and 2022. In 2024, there were 101 interventions for vessels in distress. There were 111 in 2023 and 116 in 2022.