Company portrait
The 110,000 volunteer members of the German Red Cross Water Rescue are completely in their element: when deployed in swimming pools, on rivers, lakes and at the sea, they not only save lives, but also train lifeguards and teach young and old how to swim. In the DRK regional association of North Rhine, around 1,000 members are active in the DRK water rescue
Originally founded to save people from death by drowning, the tasks of the Wasserwacht today are much more diverse. First and foremost, it is dedicated to water rescue services, with around 75,000 volunteers securing bathing waters throughout Germany - whether in pools, lakes, rivers or on coasts. The Wasserwacht in Germany is a community of the German Red Cross.
Outreach
Almost 80 percent of all disasters have their origin in heavy rain and storms. The Wasserwacht is part of the complex aid system of the German Red Cross and works closely with all emergency services in the DRK. For flood disasters, it has water rescue platoons on standby, which work closely with authorities and other relief and water rescue organisations in the respective federal states. However, Wasserwacht is also called out in the event of other major disasters. Their task forces include trained water rescuers, rescue divers and teams with special motor rescue boats. They are deployed on a regional, supra-regional and cross-border basis and send specialist flood advisors to the individual staffs and management committees. It is thanks to the commitment of our volunteers that fewer and fewer people come to harm. Why don't you help? Join us in ensuring safety on and in our waters.
Swimming lessons and environmental protection
In addition to qualified, professional life-saving and first aid, the volunteer members of the Wasserwacht are also involved in preventive care. For example, they teach more than 60,000 children, as well as young people and adults, how to swim and do lifeguarding every year. Another field of activity is environmental protection: by removing rubbish from bodies of water and maintaining protected biotopes, order and cleanliness prevail around the cool waters.