Queye TV The Sea Rescuers
Documentary
The Sea Rescuers
Die Seenotretter
2025
0:29
2 Seasons 16 Episodes
★ 9
Between storms and towering waves, in sunshine or in the dead of night: Sea rescuers from the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) risk their lives for people in distress on the high seas! The documentary series "The Sea Rescuers" accompanies these heroes of the seas up close during their spectacular missions on the North and Baltic Seas.

Episodes

Sunken freighter: Eight men overboard
Episode 1

Sunken freighter: Eight men overboard

Mayday! Two freighters collide in the German Bight; one sinks immediately into the North Sea. For the sea rescuers, the race against time begins: It's a matter of life and death. The sea rescue cruiser "Hermann Marwede" is the first on the scene. Amidst darkness and a churning sea, the crew coordinates the large-scale search for survivors. The conditions are extreme: ten-degree Celsius water, heavy waves, and treacherous currents. Eight sailors fighting for their lives. Will the sea rescuers find them in time in the waves?

30m
Sunken freighter: Rescue in the storm?
Episode 2

Sunken freighter: Rescue in the storm?

Twenty-four ships, eight helicopters, and two airplanes are now involved in the dramatic search for the sailors adrift at sea. Every minute counts as the search area in the turbulent North Sea continues to expand due to wind, drift, and currents. The rescuers are battling not only the unforgiving elements but also another danger: drifting wreckage could damage their ships and endanger the rescuers themselves. With each passing hour, the tension mounts – until finally, a sailor is found.

30m
Force 7 wind: Survival in the storm
Episode 3

Force 7 wind: Survival in the storm

A sailor is caught in a severe storm and is reached just in time by two sea rescue cruisers. With great effort, they manage to bring the situation under control. As the vessel is being escorted in convoy towards the harbor, a medical emergency suddenly occurs on board, requiring a daring rescue operation: a sea rescuer has to board the sailboat in heavy seas. Shortly afterwards, a red warning light is noticed on the sailboat. The situation threatens to escalate again.

30m
Firefighting operation: Ship in flames
Episode 4

Firefighting operation: Ship in flames

Black smoke rises menacingly and toxically into the sky – a fire on a naval vessel. Every sailor's worst nightmare. Within minutes, the Arkona sea rescue cruiser reaches the scene, and its fire pumps are put into operation at full pressure. The fire soon seems to be contained, but then comes the shock: the flames flare up again. For 61-year-old Steffen, on his first firefighting mission, the operation becomes a trial by fire – quite literally.

30m
Ship in distress: Nighttime operation
Episode 5

Ship in distress: Nighttime operation

On a stormy night, the Travemünde volunteer station is alerted: A stricken vessel is adrift on the Baltic Sea – without lights. The sea rescuers waste no time and rush out into the darkness, but the search proves difficult. They manage to establish contact only by radio until they finally spot the ship in the churning sea. Despite the heavy waves, they manage to take the sailboat in tow. But the young man's condition is a great concern for the rescuers.

30m
Emergency doctor on board
Episode 6

Emergency doctor on board

The sea rescuers from Warnemünde are alerted: A man has collapsed on his sailing yacht. For sea rescue doctor Christine Rose, this is her first mission, and the situation is critical. A daring maneuver by the rescuers is necessary to even reach the yacht and bring the doctor safely on board. There, it quickly becomes clear that the man's condition is critical. Initially, everything points to a heart attack, but Christine has another suspicion – a hunch that could mean the difference between the patient's life and death.

30m
Rescue from the burning tanker
Episode 7

Rescue from the burning tanker

Flames are raging on an oil tanker off Warnemünde. The situation threatens to escalate. "My first thought was: 'Oh, I hope this isn't my last call,'" recalls Steffen Schmeißer, who had extinguished his very first ship fire just a few weeks earlier. The sea rescuers must get the seven-member crew off the ship quickly and safely. Every minute counts, because the sailors' lives are at stake, while the flames threaten to spread relentlessly to the rest of the vessel.

30m
Ghost ship off Norderney
Episode 8

Ghost ship off Norderney

Off the coast of Norderney, a disabled vessel is causing quite a stir. Without a functioning engine and completely unlit, it is drifting aimlessly in the water. The crew of a passing ferry notices the drifting ship and immediately alerts the sea rescue service. The situation is critical, as the uncontrolled vessel poses a significant danger to shipping in the busy area. The sea rescuers begin a time-sensitive operation to prevent a worse outcome, but when they reach the ship, they can hardly believe their eyes.

30m
Mast breakage: Every sailor's nightmare
Episode 9

Mast breakage: Every sailor's nightmare

Broken mast on the North Sea: Without lights or radio contact, the sea rescuers search for a stricken sailor. For DGzRS newcomer Michel Schütze, it's his first mission where what awaits him remains uncertain. Using the daughter boat, they finally manage to reach the sailor in distress. The darkness presents a particular challenge. While the crew tries to secure the broken mast, the boat drifts inexorably towards the busy shipping lane. Every minute counts.

30m
Inflatable boat: Lost in the North Sea
Episode 10

Inflatable boat: Lost in the North Sea

The water police raise the alarm: A woman reports her husband missing, while a floating inflatable boat without occupants is sighted on the outer Elbe. At the same time, another boat reports that an inflatable boat is circling unmanned – a worrying report. "If he's fallen into the water, it's a matter of minutes!" warns Kai Schöps, second engineer of the "Anneliese Kramer." The sea rescuers anxiously scan the water with binoculars, while a helicopter supports the search. Time is running out.

30m
Fire on board
Episode 1

Fire on board

Black smoke drifts across the Baltic Sea towards Travemünde. For sea rescuer Leonie Hintze, it's clear: "This is a matter of life or death!" The crew immediately sets out, and the skipper of the burning boat saves himself by jumping overboard into the water.

28m
The North Sea never forgives
Episode 2

The North Sea never forgives

The sea rescuers of the DGzRS station Norderney are battling their way to an injured sailor in Beaufort winds of up to three meters high and an ebb tide, while his boat is in danger of capsizing.

28m
Leak below deck – Water ingress at sea
Episode 3

Leak below deck – Water ingress at sea

An old fishing boat reports taking on water; radio contact has been lost. Not a good sign for the sea rescuers from the Norderney station of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS). On site, it becomes clear: the operation will unfold differently than originally planned. In Eckernförde Bay, the volunteer Schilksee station of the DGzRS, led by 28-year-old coxswain Marek Jacobsen, is searching for an exhausted surfer who can no longer get back on his board.

29m
Dinghy in distress at sea
Episode 4

Dinghy in distress at sea

The crew of the Travemünde volunteer station of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) is called to a disabled dinghy. The boat later capsizes in the shipping channel – a large ferry is approaching. For the sea rescuers of the ERICH KOSCHUBS, a race against time begins. In Schilksee, a person is missing, and the sea rescuers of the local DGzRS station immediately join the search.

28m
Covered at high tide – Angler drifts out to sea
Episode 5

Covered at high tide – Angler drifts out to sea

A fisherman falls into the sea off Norderney. The current pulls him towards the open sea. For the sea rescuers, it's clear: the man's life is in danger. Off Travemünde, the sea rescuers search for a missing sailboat during the night.

29m
Emergency at regatta
Episode 6

Emergency at regatta

During a regatta off Schilksee in the Baltic Sea, a young woman loses consciousness and requires immediate medical attention! Off Norderney, a motorboat has run aground on a sandbank. Not only the weight of the stricken vessel, but also the tide is complicating the situation.

29m

Cast

Crew

Nicola Goethe

Writer

Dieter Brockmann

Camera Operator

Sebastian Wilutzky

Editor

Hendrik Röhrs

Editor

Lukas Lempke

Editor

Thorsten Bartels

Editorial Manager

Dirk Hansen

Editorial Manager

Julian Burmann

Camera Operator

Nicola Goethe

Director

Marina Kanzian

Graphic Designer

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