José Ramón Crespí, Marine Rescue: “The levels of incidents are the same as last year”

In the summer months the team work intensifies Marine Rescue at our islands, mainly because there are more people that enjoy the sea, either with boats, nautical activities, or simply being at the beach. But what is certain is that the professionals have been guarding our seas for over 30 years and watching over the security of sailors.

During these three decades they have rescued nearly 700 thousand people in Spain and, only in 2022, provided help to 3.606 people at the Balearic Islands. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the organization, José Ramón Crespí, responsible for the Coordination Center of Marine Rescue at the Balearic Islands, has visited our study at Passion for the Sea to explain how the summer season is going at the Mediterranean Sea.

“We are at the same levels of incidents of last year” assures Crespí, who recognizes that in 2023 has been a little less activity than in 2022 “because Easter, which is when there is a lot of activity in the recreational boating, coincides with many storms and the people were cautious”.

To take on the main mission that is “rescue the human life at sea, fight against the communication and to watch out for the security of sailors”, Marine Rescue has many boats, a helicopter and a team of professionals well trained.

At the Coordination Center of Palma they have 14 staff of controllers, who are permanent guards. But, moreover, they count with three boats that intervene fast in Majorca, two in Menorca and one in Ibiza, which are known to be the ‘Salvamares’. “This summer at Ibiza we need reinforcement and this year we have accomplished it with the Lima sierra Hidra, a dinghy operated by volunteers of the Red Cross and located at the port of San Antonio” explains Crespí. 

The helicopter has a base at the airport of Palma and the on-call duty guards allow that it is in the air for 15 minutes. “The pilots of the helicopter have a fundamental job” recognizes Crespí. On board of the aircraft there is always the pilot, copilot and two rescuers, one of which is in charge of the helicopter crane and the other is the one that goes down.

With all these resources the team of the Marine Rescue at the Balearic Islands can attend to the warnings they receive. “The great majority are recreational boat trailers that have been drifted due to a mechanical issue or to bad weather stranding” explains the responsible for the Coordination Center of the Balearic Islands. Even though they attend boat accidents that go very fast, sinkings or cliff rescues.

To avoid these situations, the responsible of the Coordination Center of Marine Rescue of the Balearic Islands, José Ramón Crespí, gives some advice to sailors. “The first thing is to check the weather conditions, maintain the ship in optimum conditions and to know the coastline that one is going to sail” recommends Crespí.