When several rescue ships are deployed off Wilhelmshaven over the next few days and helicopters circle in the sky, there is no cause for concern. The "SAREx Wilhelmshaven 2026" - a large-scale search and rescue exercise organised by the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) - will run from 22 to 26 April. Seven rescue units as well as other external ships and helicopters are taking part. This is the sixth time that Wilhelmshaven has hosted a SAREx.
What's special: The crews only find out which scenarios are being rehearsed when they are "alerted". This creates the most realistic operational situations possible.
Realistic training scenarios on the water
Searching for and rescuing shipwrecked people, caring for the injured and towing distressed vessels: These are some of the challenges for the sea rescuers during the SAREx (Search and Rescue Exercise). Initial medical care and casualty transport are also part of the planned training on the core exercise days of Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
"The participants don't know exactly where the exercises will take place beforehand," explains Ralf Baur from the DGzRS press office. The tidal area of the Jade and North Sea can be used, but the specific positions and scenarios remain secret. "So that the participants can't prepare in advance and the situation remains as realistic as possible."
The SAREx is supported by the emergency training group (ETG) of I.S.A.R. Germany. I.S.A.R. Germany is a non-profit aid organisation that is active in disaster areas worldwide. With around 170 volunteers from the fields of firefighting, emergency medicine, technical rescue and disaster coordination, the team provides realistic emergency scenarios during the exercise - from injured people with wounds to people in shock.
Intensive training programme on land and at sea
On Thursday and Friday, the participating crews will alternate between training important manoeuvres and skills in port on board and ashore, including the transfer of shipwrecked persons from ship to ship, rescue from confined spaces, internationally standardised SAR deployment procedures such as search patterns and command tasks as well as technical navigation.
The sea rescuers on the North Sea and Baltic Sea and their airborne partners are constantly training to work together to save lives in an emergency. During such exercises, the crews learn how to communicate with many people involved and how to deal with complex situations.
This is how a SAREx works: From the Easter egg hunt to a major accident
Before things get serious for those involved at sea, station training is on the programme on land. "This serves to prepare for possible situations and refresh SAR procedures," explains Timo Jordt, Head of the Maritime Rescue Academy. On the first day of training, the crews go through various training stations in the harbour: Handover from ship to ship using a special rope hoist system that also works with ship's sides of different heights, rescuing injured people from narrow ship spaces using flexible compact stretchers and a refresher on navigation.
The dry run is followed by a first scenario on the water. In past SAREx exercises, it was called the "Easter egg search": 15 objects were distributed on the Jade Bay, all equipped with a small transmitter. The size ranged from small 25 cm objects to human dummies. Such area searches train the coordinated co-operation of several vehicles.
Because the gradual increase in realism is part of the SAREx concept, the biggest challenge then follows: for example, a collision between two ships with water ingress and many casualties. The sea rescuers do not have this information. "They are alerted, then everything is open. The rescuers don't know what to expect. They then have to carry out both the technical and medical rescue on site."
An observer is on board for each exercise to give feedback later in a debriefing.
Who's talking? Radio communication with code words
If unfamiliar radio words are heard on channel 16 over the next few days, these are also part of the exercise. This is because a special feature of SAREx are special radio code words that are intended to avoid confusion with real emergency calls. Instead of "Mayday" or "Pan Pan", water sports enthusiasts on channel 16 will hear announcements such as: "Junk, Junk, Junk, to all radio stations, to all radio stations, to all radio stations, this is Exercise Rescue, Exercise Rescue, Exercise Rescue." These code words make it clear at first glance that this is a rescue exercise and not a possible emergency.
Information for water sports enthusiasts and spectators
There are no explicit closures for water sports enthusiasts or other watercraft in the training area. "You should observe the normal distancing rules," recommends Ralf Baur. All rules that apply at sea should of course also be observed during the exercise.
The rescue units will moor in the tidal harbour after the exercises and will probably be visible there in the mornings and evenings, and also in the mornings on Thursday and Friday. However, there will not be an open ship and it will not be possible to travel on the participating units.
These rescue units are taking part
Three rescue cruisers are deployed for SAREx Wilhelmshaven 2026: the "Hans Hackmack" (without a fixed station), the "Eugen" (Norderney station) and the "Pidder Lüng" (List station). From the volunteer stations, the rescue boats "Peter Habig" (Wilhelmshaven station), "Wolfgang Paul Lorenz" (Horumersiel station), "Secretarius" (Langeoog station) and "Paul Neisse" (Eiderdamm station) are taking part.
Partners in the air: when helicopters save lives
In addition to the DGzRS units, the customs vessel "Friesland", a search and rescue helicopter from the naval aviation, a rescue helicopter from NHC Northern Helicopter and an ADAC rescue helicopter are involved in the exercise. For realistic scenarios, several ships are available to act as distressed vessels, including the tug "Fairplay 34" from the Fairplay Towage Group.
The sea rescuers do not have their own helicopters or aeroplanes. In many cases, however, their crews receive support for search and rescue operations from the air. The German Navy keeps at least one helicopter on alert around the clock for sea rescue operations in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. The Navy's NH90 "Sea Lion" SAR helicopters are specially equipped for sea rescue and can rescue people from the water or from ships even in difficult weather conditions.
NHC Northern Helicopter, a subsidiary of DRF Luftrettung, operates air rescue services for the offshore wind industry in the North Sea and Baltic Sea as well as air ambulance services on the East Frisian coast. In St. Peter-Ording, NHC keeps a rescue helicopter with an emergency doctor and paramedic, winch and winch operator and two pilots on alert around the clock, 365 days a year. It is the only helicopter equipped in this way in Schleswig-Holstein.
The ADAC rescue helicopter "Christoph 26" from Sanderbusch is equipped with a rescue hoist due to its location close to the North Sea and, with its 24/7 operational readiness, also ensures medical care for the East Frisian Islands.
Why cooperation is so important
In October last year, the crew of a seven-metre-long boat got stuck in the Seegatt between Wangerooge and Spiekeroog. The lifeboat from Wangerooge station was unable to reach them due to the current and water level. Their boat sank, but help arrived just in time: the crew of a marine helicopter was able to rescue the two men.
In August 2025, the sea rescuers and an ADAC rescue helicopter rescued two water sports enthusiasts from acute mortal danger off the uninhabited island of Mellum. Following a rudder failure, the yacht had run into the dangerous surf zone of a sandbank. While the helicopter dispatched an emergency doctor and paramedic, the sea rescuers took care of the rescue of the severely hypothermic people. In July 2025, a man with a medical emergency in the Spiekeroog Wadden Sea was only saved by the coordinated efforts of sea rescuers and an NHC rescue helicopter.
It is cases like these that show that rescue from the water alone can reach its limits. The DGzRS is responsible for the maritime SAR service. The aeronautical SAR service is the responsibility of the naval aviators with their search and rescue helicopters. Both parts of the SAR family support each other and are constantly training to work together at and above sea.
"Bernhard Gruben" holds the fort in Hooksiel
The rescue cruiser "Bernhard Gruben" from neighbouring Hooksiel is deliberately not taking part in the exercise. "We can only ever withdraw some of the ships from certain areas," explains Ralf Baur. The reason: in an emergency, rescue units must still be available during the exercise. The participating ships would first have to leave the exercise scenario in order to travel to a real operation - that could take too long. This is why some stations remain outside the exercise.
Twice a year: SAREx as an integral part of the training programme
The DGzRS usually organises the SAREx twice a year - once in the North Sea and once in the Baltic Sea. These comprehensive exercises have been an integral part of the sea rescuers' training concept since 2012. Larger exercises of this kind have also taken place off Rügen, in the Eckernförde Bay, in the Bay of Lübeck, off Büsum and Wilhelmshaven in recent years. The last emergency was rehearsed off Neustadt in September 2025.
The SAREx is run by the DGzRS Maritime Rescue Academy. The academy is based in Bremen and trains sea rescuers.
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Ursula Meer
Redakteurin Panorama und Reise
