DLRG Boppard e.V. - Strömungretter / Hochwasserhilfe / Flood protection

As part of the Rhine-Hunsrück water rescue service, the DLRG Boppard is involved in national flood aid. In addition to our tasks in the community's local hazard prevention, e.g. water rescue on the river Rhine, our swiftwater-rescuers take on the task of rescuing people from floods in the entire district and neighboring districts.

This was also the case on July 14th, 2021, when at 7.10 p.m. the alarm went of and were alerted as part of the "Wasserrettungszug RH" to provide help in the Ahrweiler district. Once there, our unit was in continuous service for over 32 hours, without a rest period until it returned on July 15, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. Our rescuers were able to save over 30 lives on the night of the disaster and the day after. Regardless of whether it was a desperate pregnant woman with her small child who could be evacuated from her house with a risky boat operation, the numerous people on the roofs, or an elderly lady who, after an intensive search was found alive in a completely flooded basement apartment.

Due usein the muddy waters of the Ahr, all personal protective equipment was contaminated. Wet suits, impact vests, boots, harnesses and anything that came into contact with the water was contaminated with heavy oils, fuels and feces and must be disposed of. Thanks to the many donors and the generous help, we were able to replace our material quickly and easily. The procurement of the new material has been completed and we are "ready for action" again.

In the numerous debriefings, we were able to identify some useful additional material, e.g. to purchase a whitewater raft as an option for our motorized inflatable boat. This material was made possible through your donations here on Betterplace.

Another point that we have recognized is that our vehicle, which is more than 20 years old, is reaching the limits of its possibilities and is no longer sufficient for such operations. District funds are scarce and have long waiting times, so we have procured a new vehicle from the our own funds. However, we are now dependent on your donations for the equipment, since as a voluntary aid organization we have hardly any sources of income apart from the membership fees to handle such large amounts. Used vehicles are currently hard to come by and very expensive. So we had to invest more in the vehicle, we now lack this money for the equipment. "Blue lights" and radio are electronic components, the price of which has risen sharply in recent years, and we have to "top it up" here too. The vehicle also has to be marked to identify it as an emergency vehicle.