Maritime Rescue service coordinated rescue and aid to 18,000 people in 2016

In response to a question in the Lower House of Parliament, Íñigo de la Serna underlined that, with a team made up of nearly 1,600 workers, Sasemar has a response system that includes significant material resources that requires significant budgetary outlay from the Ministry of Public Works.

Among these resources, the Maritime Rescue service has 11 helicopter bases, three aircraft, 14 ships, 59 lifeboats (55 'Salvamar' and four 'Guardamar' vessels), as well as 20 regional coordination centres and a National Coordination Centre.

With these resources, the Maritime Rescue service must provide a response to emergencies at sea, whilst carrying on an important activity in preventive security actions, maritime traffic control, training and on applied innovation and research.

In this regard, the Minister for Public Works pointed out that the Maritime Rescue service has a high quality response system to maritime emergencies that must tackle emergency situations under extremely adverse weather and maritime conditions.

He thus referred to the recent rescue, at the start of February, of the 12 crew members of the fishing vessel 'Gure Uxua', 50 miles off the coast of Asturias.

After highlighting that the balance for 2016 has been very positive, the Minister for Public Works took the opportunity to congratulate the professionals that carry out this task.