Last modified: 2005-10-22 by ivan sache
Keywords: national society for sea rescue | societe nationale de sauvetage en mer | snsm | anchors: 2 (yellow) | anchor (white) | rubber ring (yellow) |
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Flag of the SNSM - Image by Željko Heimer, 23 September 2001
See also:
The SNSM was founded in 1967 by the merging of the HSB and the SCS.
The SNSM is a mutual aid association and its members are
volunteers. Rescue is free but cargo salvage must be paid by the ship
owner. Money received by the SNSM members goes to the
association.
In most ports of France, the SNSM has a boathouse, on which its flag
is hoisted, and motor boats which are always prepared to sail. The
SNSM volunteers saved a lot of human lifes and are highly respected
by the seamen.
The SNSM has 255 stations, 100 of them being open only in summertime. Its fleet has 156 ships:
There are 3,500 members in the SNSM, all volunteers. Several them are seamen (fishers, members of the Navy and the Merchant Navy, yachtmen...) In summertime, 1,500 volunteers watch beaches. The SNSM has 27 education and training centers, with 300 volunteer instructors.
Funding of the SNSM is provided half by public funds (Ministeries, Regional and General Councils, Municipalities) and half by private funds (cash donations, legacies...)
In 1996, the SNSM rescued 8,731 people, including 1,166 windsurfers, and salvaged 2,543 ships. Of the 8,731 rescued people, 666 were in hazard of death. That number averaged 800 per year (more than 14,000 in 18 years).
The small island of Molène, located between Brest and the
island of Ushant is famous for his
rescuers, now members of the SNSM. The area, known as Sea of Iroise
or Ushant track is one of the most crowded and dangerous in the
world.
The islanders founded in 1866 the Société centrale
de secours aux naufragés (Central Society for Ship-Wrecked
Rescue) with a rowing boat named Saint-Renan. The alarm was
given by two cannon shots and women pushed the boat into the sea. The
boat was put on a heavy wagon and the way to sea was very long at
lower tides. The women were paid half an euro for their hard work.
According to the archives, the Saint-Renan rescued 98 people
between 1865 and 1901. One of the followers of the Saint-Renan
was the Amiral Roussin, commanded by Aimable Delarue,
a.k.a. Tonton Aimable or le Grand Delarue. At the end
of his carrier, Delarue was the most decorated man in France and
received the unofficial title of 'World Champion of Rescue'. His
records was 132 missions, 75 ships helped and 355 lifes saved. When
the Swedish steamer Makinnen broke on rocks in 1917, Delarue
dived and brought back 20 passengers.
Sources:
Ivan Sache, 26 October 2002
The flag of the SNSN is white over blue, the colours divided by the lines from mid-hoist to center and from center to lower fly. In the lower hoist are two yellow fouled anchors in saltire. In canton is the French flag with white and red initials SNS counterchanging.
Source: Album des Pavillons [pay00]
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 23 September 2001
Flag of the SNSM, used on land only - Image by Ivan Sache, 26 October 2002
The SNSM has a land flag, which is hoisted over the stations along
with the flag shown above, but not used at sea. This flag has a
square white field with the logotype of the SNSM in the middle.
The logotype of the SNSM is a blue square diamond, charged with a yellow
rubber ring with blue ropes. A white anchor is placed in the center
of the ring. LES SAUVETEURS EN MER is written in an arc pattern above
the ring, S.N.S.M. below it. The logotype of the SNSM is very often seen
on car stickers.
Ivan Sache, 26 October 2002