Tidal change. The sea rescuers

The North Sea has always been considered a challenging sea area. Shallows and treacherous tidal currents make the Wadden Sea a frequently underestimated source of danger – not only for shipping, but also for people who venture out on a hike across the mudflats.

Sea rescue in the Wadden Sea

Currently, maritime search and rescue services in the North Frisian coastal area are provided by four stations of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS): in List and Hörnum on Sylt, Wittdün on Amrum, and Strucklahnungshörn on Nordstrand. These bases are supplemented by a volunteer station on the Eiderdamm.

Since its founding in 1865, the DGzRS, which is financed exclusively by donations, has rescued or freed more than 87.000 people from distress at sea in the North and Baltic Seas.

On board the ICE BET

On a winter day, I accompanied the crew of the Nordstrand Station on a control and training run with the sea rescue cruiser ICE BETThe sky is grey, the wind fresh, the sea restless. It is one of those days when the North Sea refuses to make up its mind – a sea in motion, a workspace demanding attention.

Dominik Holtmeier, the chief engineer, is on watch on the foredeck and observes the maneuver of the noviceNormen Flemming initially drives the workboat alone, later together with me, once around the EISWETTE and then parallel to the cruiser.

This isn't a show for the camera, but an impressive demonstration of the crew's professional readiness: a precise demonstration of the effective interplay between the sea rescue cruiser and the workboat – the cooperation that, in an emergency, determines how quickly people can be rescued from danger. Communication remains concise and focused – a process where every move is perfectly executed.

On the bridge, second mate Lukas Bockelmann stands at the helm of the cruiser. The Wadden Sea glides past the windows, with the Pellworm lighthouse in the background. The displays, radar images, and instruments form a tranquil, technical panorama – a counterpoint to the turbulent sea outside.

Routine and emergency

Jochen Missfeldt, author of the essay, also accompanies us on this day. Tides in the soon-to-be-published illustrated book tideHe observes attentively, calmly, with the eye of someone who knows the coast. Later he notes:

The calm before the storm is not a proverb here, but a probationary period.

A sentence that perfectly captures the atmosphere on board a rescue cruiser: The men and women on the ships of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) know that routine can turn into a serious situation at any moment. Calmness on board is not an end in itself, but a prerequisite for decisions that must be made under pressure. Sea rescue is a profession based on experience, teamwork, and reliability.

Tidal change – people on the Wadden Sea

The motifs in this article are part of the photographic epic. tide about people on the Wadden Sea – about their lives and work in a landscape shaped by the forces of nature and the changes resulting from climate change.

The exhibition will open on October 28, 2026 in the nos.PHOTOMENTA the North-Baltic Sea Savings Bank in Schleswig opened.