CITIZENS RESCUE ORGANIZATION CURACAO NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT
Wanted: on-shore rescuers
The Citizens’ Rescue Organization, Curacao (CITRO) provides search and rescue services in the waters around Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles. The organization comprises a group of volunteers, who are on call and prepared for sea rescue 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
As a member of the CITRO Advisory Council I am finding ways to help with fundraising. CITRO requires funding on an ongoing basis for its activities. Please consider being one of CITRO’s ‘on-shore rescuers’ and feel free to contact me for further information. Thank you.
Karel Frielink
News from Citizens Rescue Organization Curacao
By CITRO Operations, Dick Braakman.
CITRO Curacao has been quite active this year – and it is not over yet, as of writing this in October 2008.
Until now we have had 58 emergencies of which 39 were successfully resolved (as much as during the whole of 2007). In total 55 people were brought to safety. The fast rescue boats ‘Antje’ and ‘Griend’ were deployed in 14 of the operations while ‘Cornelius Zwaan’, our sturdy work-horse, in the remaining 25.
It isn’t surprising that assistance rendered to fishing vessels and small motorboats with technical failure formed the bulk of all SAR-cases.
There appears to be an increase of accidents with people overboard or lost at sea. The count is up to 10 with 4 fatalities – in 2 cases CITRO recovered the bodies. One very successful SAR-action, in which 4 divers were rescued, will be described below in some detail.
CITRO Medico, which has been an asset of our rescue-community since the beginning of the nineties, which is comprised of a group of 12 doctors on a voluntary basis, was quite active and useful last year. The members of this group are available to the RCC on a two-weekly basis for radio-medical advice (Medico), and if necessary for assistance during medical evacuations (Medevac). Some of them are even crew-members on the CITRO boats. Often assisted by para-medical crewmembers they participated in 11 operations of which 6 were evacuations. This represents a definite increase compared to previous years.
On August 31st high alert was sounded after notification was received that 4 divers were reported overdue at the end of day at the small island of Klein Curacao. Griend, Antje and a CITRO auxiliary boat ‘Bimini Twist’ were launched and rushed to the island (7 nautical miles east of Curacao). Together with a Navy ship, a Coastguard cutter, the Coastguard plane and helicopter, a search was started at sunset and continued – for the CITRO-units – till about midnight. While the Navy and Coastguard ships with their longer staying power remained in the area, the CITRO-units returned for refueling and some rest, to resume searching at first light. Search areas were once more plotted by the Navy ship, acting as the -on-scene- coordinator, over a large area, because of the reports of strong currents variable in various directions (probably the reason for the divers going missing in the first place).
After a number of hours of intensive search all 4 were spotted by the Coastguard Dash and by a Navy Rib of the Navy vessel Van Speyck, and safely brought aboard. They all proved to be in good health as confirmed by one of CITRO Medico’s doctors who was on board the Antje and was transferred to the Van Speyck.
Important lessons learned, as concluded in the debriefing some time afterwards:
- Divers and their accompanying dive-boats should be aware of strong and (around small islands) varying currents.
- Divers should carry effective signaling devices, especially lights in some form – even if they plan to only dive during daylight (it would most certainly have made the search by night easier and more effective).
- Healthy divers can survive quite well in these waters (they have to stay – connected – together!); the presence nevertheless of illuminated search-units, even when active search is suspended because of darkness, is of strong (psychological) importance.
- As always: combined effort by different units is the most successful.
- These lessons also should be made known to the public.
(28 Oktober 2008)
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We deeply regret to inform you that Dr. Dick Braakman passed away on July 5, 2010. We will remember him as a good friend and a passionate Citro professional. We have lost a great human being. Please remember Dick and his family in your prayers and thoughts.
(5 July 2010)
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We deeply regret to inform you that Robert Willems (47) died during rescue efforts. He had been swept away by the treacherous flow of water after helping to evacuate a 97-year-old woman, among others, and his body was found nearby later (click here). We have lost a great Citro volunteer. Please remember Robert and his family in your prayers and thoughts.
(2 November 2010)
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