The fourth edition of the Sea Rescue Day will take place on Sunday. The SNSM, which operates thanks to its 8,500 volunteers in 214 stations on the French coast, provides free assistance to anyone in difficulty, at the beach and offshore. At the microphone of Europe 1, Marc Sauvagnac, director general of the National Society for Sea Rescue, reminded Friday that the SNSM was operating at 80% thanks to donations. The rest then comes from the state.
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We have to renew 150 boats in the next ten years
Last October, the government had increased its contribution to the funding of the association to the tune of four million euros. "The SNSM has already been alerting the State for a few years to the need to contribute to the funding of the renewal of the rescue fleet. We went from two million euros in 2013 to 10.5 million from the 'State', explained Marc Sauvagnac. "We must renew 150 boats and invest 100 million over the next ten years. We must also work on the training of our rescuers in the recovery of the shipwrecked, in first aid and in research," he said.
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Rescuers still on duty during containment
As the summer vacation approaches, the director general of the SNSM also recalled the good actions to adopt on the coast: pay attention to the resumption of physical activity, but also to the preparation of boats, boats, kitesurfs and revise the equipment before going out to sea. He also recommends wearing a GPS beacon that allows permanent location. During the confinement, the sea rescuers did not stop their activities. They continued to provide assistance to fishermen in difficulty and to provide inter-island medical transport.
The SNSM and the community of sea rescuers are still very marked by the death of three sailors after capsizing off Sables-d'Olonne in June 2019, while they were trying to help a fishing boat.