Rescue beacon

This article deals with the rescue beacon placed in the water as a refuge. The emergency beacon is also known as the rescue beacon .

Light and rescue beacon Süderoogsand

A rescue beacon is a refuge for stranded seafarers in coastal seas . In tide-dependent areas that mostly dry out at low tide , it is used to rescue mudflat hikers who were surprised by the tide .

On nautical charts, rescue beacons are marked with " Ref " ( English Refuge for shipwrecked mariners ) or " ZS " ( Refuge for shipwrecked mariners ) .

Construction and equipment

A modern rescue beacon typically consists of a steel mast with a closed basket made of metal mesh at the top, which can be reached via a floor hatch with a ladder. This mesh basket offers space for about six people and serves as a Faraday cage during thunderstorms , which protects against the effects of lightning strikes . Some rescue beacons also have a small closed space or, for example on disused lighthouses , a platform with a railing.

The equipment of stationary rescue beacons usually consists of blankets, provisions and drinking water as well as signal devices ( distress signals ) such as signal flares, signal rockets , smoke buoys or signal pistols . Some lifebues are also used as navigation signs ; they are common in the Wadden Sea (North Sea) .

Cuxhaven / Neuwerk

Emergency beacon 5 in front of Sahlenburg

In the mudflats off Cuxhaven there have been seven rescue beacons since the 1970s - u. a. three on the 13 kilometer long path between Duhnen and the island of Neuwerk (11 km from Sahlenburg ). In the 2017 season, a fourth rescue beacon was installed on the way to Neuwerk, so that there are now eight rescue beacons in front of Cuxhaven during the season.

The newer life beacons consist of a round steel mast that is bolted to a foundation pipe that is driven deep into the seabed. A closed steel mesh basket is at the top, which up to six people seeking refuge can reach via a ladder. The basket is a Faraday cage that acts as a lightning shield during thunderstorms. Since the creeks in the tidal flats can quickly become impassable, pricks were placed on the edges of the creeks to mark the path to the rescue beacons. Since then, despite the approximately 30 rescue missions per year, no mudflat hikers have died.

In order to ensure the continuous readiness of the beacons in the Hamburg Wadden Sea National Park , according to the Hamburg Watt wagon ordinance of 23 August 2005, the Watt wagon operators are obliged to report any changes to the beacons, such as those caused by storm damage or vandalism. Misuse of the facilities, for example as a viewing platform, is a criminal offense.

The seven rescue beacons in the Neuwerker Watt are numbered from east to west and with "Ref." (for English Refuge ).

Scotland

East Vows rescue beacon (Largo Bay, Scotland)

A lifebuoy for castaways designed by Alan Stevenson in 1847 as a metal cage is still standing on the East Vows rocks in Largo Bay (Scotland).

Historic life beacons

Scharhörnbake south of the Outer Elbe before Neuwerk (1898)

From 1840 to 1965 the Scharhörnbake was equipped with a shelter for shipwrecked people . From 1898 to December 23, 1914, it was also the highest beacon on the North Sea coast at 29.10 m. Other beacons with rescue rooms on today's German coast were:

• Seesand -Bake (1840–1897)
• Minsener-Olde Oog -Bake (1867–1954)
• Bush sand bake (1859–1996)
• Blauort -Bake (before 1886–1921)

literature

• Fritz Brunner : Between the pirate tower and the rescue beacon. Sauerländer, Aarau 1932.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Bake Süderoogsand 54 ° 25 ′ 27.6 ″  N , 8 ° 28 ′ 40.2 ″  E
2. ↑ Lifebuoy in the Cuxhaven Watt. In: deutsche-leuchtfeuer.de. August 6, 2019, accessed April 20, 2020 . 

   Announcements for Seafarers 53/19, WSA Cuxhaven, 06.06.2019. In: elwis.de. Retrieved June 15, 2019 . 

   Gerd Liedtke: Cuxhaven rescue beacons. In: baken-net.de. June 6, 2019, accessed April 20, 2020 .  :

   • Rescue beacon 1: 53 ° 54 ′ 24 ″  N , 8 ° 40 ′ 4 ″  E
   • Rescue beacon 2: 53 ° 54 ′ 54 ″  N , 8 ° 38 ′ 30 ″  E
   • Rescue beacon 3: 53 ° 54 ′ 42 ″  N , 8 ° 37 ′ 30 ″  E
   • Rescue beacon 4: 53 ° 54 ′ 0 ″  N , 8 ° 36 ′ 4 ″  E
   • Rescue beacon 5: 53 ° 52 ′ 45 ″  N , 8 ° 34 ′ 54 ″  E
   • Rescue beacon 6: 53 ° 53 ′ 0 ″  N , 8 ° 34 ′ 25 ″  E
   • Rescue beacon 7: 53 ° 53 ′ 29 ″  N , 8 ° 33 ′ 48 ″  E
   • Rescue beacon 8: 53 ° 53 ′ 54 ″  N , 8 ° 32 ′ 58 ″  E
   • Red sign: 53 ° 54 ′ 25 ″  N , 8 ° 38 ′ 14 ″  E
   • Neuwerk Directions: 53 ° 53 '18 "  N , 8 ° 36' 42"  O
3. ^ State law - Justice - Portal Hamburg. Hamburgische Wattwagenverordnung of 23 August 2005. In: landesrecht.hamburg.de. August 23, 2005, accessed April 20, 2020 . 
4. ↑ Cuxhaven rescue beacons. In: baken-net.de. Retrieved April 2, 2018 .  :
   • Beacon 1: 53 ° 54 ′ 24 ″  N , 8 ° 40 ′ 6 ″  E
   • Beacon 2: 53 ° 54 ′ 54 ″  N , 8 ° 38 ′ 42 ″  E
   • Beacon 3: 53 ° 54 ′ 42 ″  N , 8 ° 37 ′ 24 ″  E
   • Beacon 4: 53 ° 53 ′ 54 ″  N , 8 ° 36 ′ 24 ″  E
   • Beacon 5: 53 ° 53 ′ 0 ″  N , 8 ° 34 ′ 30 ″  E
   • Beacon 6: 53 ° 53 ′ 30 ″  N , 8 ° 33 ′ 54 ″  E
   • Beacon 7: 53 ° 53 ′ 54 ″  N , 8 ° 33 ′ 6 ″  E
5. ↑ Former Scharhörn beacon 53 ° 57 ′ 24 ″  N , 8 ° 24 ′ 36 ″  E
6. ↑ Beacons . In: Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon . 6th edition. Volume 2, Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig / Vienna 1905, pp.  285–286 .
7. ↑ Sea sand beacon. In: baken-net.de. Retrieved March 21, 2018 . 54 ° 34 ′ 7 "  N , 8 ° 22 ′ 54"  E 
8. ↑ Minsener-Old-Oog Bake. In: baken-net.de. Retrieved March 21, 2018 . 53 ° 45 ′ 30.5 "  N , 8 ° 1 ′ 54"  E 
9. ↑ Bush Sand Bake. In: baken-net.de. Retrieved March 21, 2018 . 54 ° 4 '36.8 "  N , 8 ° 38' 44.5"  E 
10. ↑ Blauortsand Bake. In: baken-net.de. Retrieved March 21, 2018 . 54 ° 9 ′ 30 ″  N , 8 ° 43 ′ 30 ″  E