The deputy delegate of the Government in A Coruña, María Rivas, participated today in the acts of tribute organized by the City of Fene to recognize the work of the Maritime Rescue staff that provides service in the base installed in this town. After pointing out that “there is nothing that deserves greater respect than protecting people’s lives and the life of the natural environment in which we live”, he stressed that the men and women of SASEMAR are proof of this double commitment, which they assume with solidarity and heroism in each emergency.
The subdelegate gave as an example of this service the staff highlighted in the Fene Rescue Strategy, which has just obtained the Honorable Mention of the exceptional value of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in recognition of one of its most complex actions.
María Rivas recalled that the State Maritime Rescue Society attended in 2022 the emergencies of 39,594 people and about 6,000 boats. “These numbers show that Salvamento Maritimo is undoubtedly one of the most successful public service initiatives in favor of people’s lives and safety,” he stressed.
BEC by Fene
Fene’s Strategic Pollution Rescue and Response Base (BEC) is integrated into the network of strategic Marine Pollution Rescue and Response bases, distributed along the coastline. This type of bases has a specialized intervention team that moves to the site of the accident along with the required equipment. In this type of operation, the training and experience of professionals is essential to ensure the correct response to very diverse scenarios. In the strategic bases, the maintenance of the material is carried out, guaranteeing its total operability and immediate availability. They have facilities for the maintenance, washing and repair of anti-pollution equipment.
In addition, at Fene, Salvamento Marítima also has an underwater base with Ardentia Marine divers and underwater intervention equipment (compressed air diving systems, gas mixtures and saturation diving, as well as remote control underwater robots) prepared for immediate mobilization and availability.
Honor Mention
Fene City Council designed a program of events to celebrate the recent award given by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to the Marine Rescue team of the Fene base and the diving intervention unit of Ardentia Marine. Both received the Honorable Mention of Exceptional Value from the leading international marine protection organization in recognition of the life-saving rescue of a crew member who was caught in their sailboat on August 2 last year.
María Rivas stressed that this operation, in addition to “reflecting the expertise and value of Fene’s Maritime Rescue workers”, shows the “importance of coordination between bodies and administrations”, since the rescue was supported by the boats Betelgueuse and Sar Gavia, the helicopter Helimer 402 in which the crew member was transferred to the airport of Alvedro, and the troops of the Maritime Service of the Civil Guard and Coast Guard of Galicia. Six members of the Fene base coordinated by the technician responsible for Special Operations, Vicente Cobelo, participated in the rescue.