IMO General Secretary Efthimios Mitropoulos praised the work of the DGzRS after German unification in 1990, which left the all-volunteer sea rescue service with a vastly longer North Sea and Baltic coast line to cover. He said the body had tackled it, not as a problem, but as a challenge.

The DGzRS maintains 54 life boat stations and 61 vessels between the Ems in the west and Poland's Bay of Szczecin in the east, financing them from voluntary donations. It is marking its 140th anniversary this year.

Reporting that the potential for danger in the North Sea and the Baltic was increasing as sea lanes become busier and ships larger, the DGzRS introduced the 10.1m wide, 18 knot Hermann Marweder in 2003 after completion at Fassmer.

Made of seawater-resistant aluminium, she was designed to operate in extreme weather and features heavy-duty construction and outstanding seagoing, stability and manoeuvering characteristics.

Her aluminium hull was built in Poland and she is driven by an MTU main diesel. Other features are a multifunction compartment with direct access to the main deck, a high-performance fire extinguishing system, towing gear, a hospital and a 9.5m long tender with automatic stern launching as well as advanced electronic, radio and navigation systems.

Hermann Marwede carries a crew of 15. She can, in emergencies, take up to 600 people on board.