The Rescue of the Renown

A 1911 list showing Dorus Rijkers's most important rescues between 1872-1911 (including the Renown rescue). Note that his full name, Theodorus, is used here.

Renown was a German barque used as a sailing cargo ship built prior to 1873, when she made her first voyage.^[1]

The storm and sinking

In 1888, Renown sank during a storm, miles off the coast of Den Helder in the Netherlands. The survivors had climbed up the mizzen-mast and were eventually rescued by a small boat that approached the sinking ship. The lifeboat, captained by Dorus Rijkers, approached Renown, where Rijkers jumped out of the boat and climbed the mast. He and his crew helped the endangered men from the mast to the lifeboat, and back again to dry land. Of the ship's total crew of 30, approximately 5 died in the shipwreck and the remainder were rescued.^[2]

Aftermath

The heroic rescue ended successfully, and Dorus Rijkers was later rewarded with a gold medal for his valour. All of the surviving crew-members received a small stipend from the court of the Hague after it was decided that they earned it because the boat was in bad condition when leaving Hamburg harbour, one week before the accident.

See also

• Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution

References