Sea rescue · station since 1865
Since 1865 DGzRS volunteers have watched over the Bay of Lübeck. They launch on every mission aboard the rescue boat “Erich Koschubs” – funded entirely by donations, without any state money.
On the water
In distress at sea every minute counts. Bremen rescue control (MRCC) coordinates all missions around the clock – here is how to reach it:
Emergency from a mobile
From German mobile networks and only near the coast. Connects directly to Bremen rescue control.
Marine radio
Call sign “Bremen Rescue”, permanent listening watch – also picked up by nearby ships. Digital alert: DSC channel 70.
MRCC Bremen
The central maritime rescue control centre, staffed around the clock.
If nothing else works
Dial the European emergency number and ask to be connected to Bremen rescue control (MRCC).
DGzRS emergency guidance ↗ On land, 112 and 116117 still apply.
The boat
Since 22 May 2021 the “Erich Koschubs” has operated from Travemünde – a 10.1-metre-class boat built by Tamsen Maritim in Rostock and christened on the Priwall. It replaced the older 9.5-metre boat “Hans Ingwersen”.
A donor from Hamburg made the new build possible: she named the boat after her late husband Erich Koschubs, a passionate Baltic sailor and supporter of the sea rescuers. Like the whole DGzRS fleet, it is financed entirely by donations.
Live position of the “Erich Koschubs”
Step aboard
What does it look like aboard such a boat? The “Otto Diersch” is the sister boat of the “Erich Koschubs” – the same 10.1-metre class, also built in 2020 at Tamsen Maritim, practically identical inside. Its 3D tour shows step by step what it is like on board one of these rescue boats.
3D tour on board (sister boat “Otto Diersch”)
Station
Travemünde is one of the oldest sea-rescue stations: the first rescue boat lay by the lighthouse as early as 1865. A storm surge destroyed the original boathouse in 1873; the replacement, with the characteristic DGzRS architecture – double doors and a slipway – survives to this day and is now used by the Lübeck Yacht Club.
Today a volunteer crew around coxswain Patrick Morgenroth keeps the station running – about 33 volunteers ready to launch at any time. Their area is mainly the inner Bay of Lübeck: east to Boltenhagen, north-west to Neustadt, plus the shallows of the Pötenitzer Wiek and Dassower See. The busy ferry approach and the watersports areas keep the crew occupied – the highlight each year is the Travemünder Woche.
New berth
The berth is being relocated: a new jetty is being built near the station on the Travepromenade, roughly level with the Osteria. (The official DGzRS pages still list the former spot at the Lotsenbrücke – as of June 2026.)
Prevention
The free app “SafeTrx der Seenotretter” accompanies water-sports enthusiasts: it records the trip and sends the position to Bremen rescue control. With trip planning you can set an expected return time – if it is exceeded, emergency contacts and the MRCC are notified. An alert can be triggered by a three-second press.
On television
The documentary series by NDR and Radio Bremen follows the crews on their missions. In season 2, episode 4 “Jolle in Seenot” centres on Travemünde and the “Erich Koschubs”; Travemünde appears in further episodes too. Season 3 is announced for the turn of the year 2026/27.
Join in
Nationwide, stations open their doors on the last Sunday in July (2026: 26 July). Because that clashes with the finale of the Travemünder Woche, Travemünde traditionally holds its day separately in late August. The exact 2026 date was not yet fixed at the time of writing.
Support
The sea rescuers work on donations alone – without state funding. Even the traditional collection-ship box helps, as does a one-off or regular donation. This page brings together the DGzRS’s official options to give them reach.
Official DGzRS donation form
Stay close
Reports and pictures straight from the station appear on the sea rescuers’ channels. Closest to Travemünde is the station’s own page:
On the water, use VHF marine radio channel 16 (“Bremen Rescue”) or DSC channel 70 first – nearby ships hear it too. Without radio: 124 124 from a German mobile (coastal areas only) or 112, asking to be connected to Bremen rescue control (MRCC).
The station building is at Am Leuchtenfeld; the “Erich Koschubs” lies along the Travepromenade. The berth is currently being relocated – a new jetty is being built roughly level with the Osteria (as of June 2026; the official DGzRS pages still list the former spot at the Lotsenbrücke).
In season 2, episode 4 “Jolle in Seenot” centres on Travemünde and the “Erich Koschubs”; Travemünde also appears in other episodes. The series is on the ARD Mediathek.
The DGzRS is funded by donations alone. You can give once or regularly, use the traditional collection-ship box, or donate directly to the account at Sparkasse Bremen (IBAN DE36 2905 0101 0001 0720 16).
Nationwide on the last Sunday in July (2026: 26 July). Because that clashes with the finale of the Travemünder Woche, the Travemünde station traditionally holds its own day in late August. The exact 2026 date was not yet fixed at the time of writing.
SafeTrx is the free DGzRS app for water-sports enthusiasts (iOS and Android). It records your trip, sends your position to Bremen rescue control (MRCC) and lets you set an expected return time – if it is exceeded, emergency contacts and the MRCC are alerted. An alarm can be triggered by a three-second press.
Since 1865 – making Travemünde one of the oldest DGzRS stations. The first rescue boat lay by the lighthouse; after a storm in 1873 the boathouse was replaced. The historic building with the characteristic DGzRS architecture survives to this day.
