Sea Punks
Sea Punks e. V. is a German non-profit , non-governmental organization dedicated to safe escape routes and sea rescue. The association, based in Bad Kreuznach, operates the former fishing and research vessel Sea Punk I. The organization is largely funded by donations.[1]
Organization
The association was founded in October 2019 after brothers Benjamin, Gerson, and Raphael Reschke decided, together with their friends, to do something to combat the deaths of refugees in the Mediterranean. The association organizes street teams, numbering over 200 people, who collect donations at events throughout Germany, inform people about escape routes and the association, and sell the association's merchandise.[2][3]
History
After its founding in 2019, in collaboration with Mission Lifeline, funds were raised to convert the Rise Above, in 2021. This was the association's first rescue ship for use in the Mediterranean.[4] This ship has been operated by Mission Lifeline since the end of the collaboration.[5] After the ship's conversion, the association oversaw the conversion of a shower container, which was delivered to a reception center in Greece.[6]
In 2022, a new ship was purchased, the Sea Punk I. It was converted into a sea rescue ship in Greifswald, with the support of Medical Volunteers International e.V.[7][8] After the shipyard the ship stayed in Greifswald[9] and Burriana (Spain),[10][11] the ship entered its first deployment in May 2023.[12]
First missions
During the crossing into the SAR zone off the North African coast in May 2023, a leak in the oil cooler was discovered and the ship was directed to the nearest port in Palma, Spain. The Sea Punk I's deployment was aborted as a precautionary measure to allow time to remedy the deficiencies.[2]
At the end of August 2023, the crew of the Sea Punk I set out on their second mission and reached the operational area off Tunisia at the beginning of September 2023. Shortly after arriving on site, the crew carried out two rescues in quick succession, in which a total of 83 people were brought to safety on Lampedusa with the help of the Italian Coast Guard and the organization RESQSHIP.[13][14]
At the end of January 2025, an operation took place in which, partly in cooperation with the organization SOS Méditerranée, over 300 people were brought to safety from five boats. The rescue of a group of 18 shipwrecked people floating in the water, as well as the drowning of several people and the death of a small child on board the Sea Punk 1, garnered international coverage.[15][16][17]
Political commitment
In their social media posts, the Sea Punks criticize the EU's handling of migration and accuse it of isolating itself from refugees.[18] The association also comments critically on current political and social events. The street teams' involvement in cultural events serves to raise awareness about the situation of refugees and spread the organization's messages (e.g., Fight Racism, Save Lives).[19]
Financing
Sea Punks e. V. is financed exclusively through donations and the sale of merchandise. A variety of fundraising campaigns by various supporting individuals and institutions also contribute to the funding.[20][21][22]
References
- ^ About us. In: Sea Punks e. V. Accessed on December 4, 2023 (German)
- ^ a b Katharina Golze: From Greifswald to Sea Rescue: Sea Punks Abort Mission | SVZ. May 31, 2023, accessed December 4, 2023
- ^ Sea Punks e. V. at Radio Fluchtpunkt. September 14, 2023, accessed December 4, 2023
- ^ Jonas Julino: "Seapunks" on sea rescue: "Punk means doing it yourself ." In: Die Tageszeitung: taz . October 19, 2020, ISSN 0931-9085 ( taz.de accessed December 4, 2023)
- ^ "Rise Above". Sea Punks e.V. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ Christmas present from Bad Kreuznach for refugees. www.allgemeine-zeitung.de December 17, 2021, accessed December 4, 2023
- ^ Die SEA PUNK I sticht mit zwei Organisationen und Deiner Unterstützung in See! medical-volunteers.org Accessed on December 4, 2023 (German)
- ^ hessenschau de, Frankfurt Germany: Darmstadt resident buys ship and wants to rescue people in the Mediterranean. March 19, 2022, accessed December 4, 2023 (German)
- ^ Why Theresa is involved with the Sea Punks. December 11, 2022, accessed December 4, 2023
- ^ Sea Punks on the Edge of Europe. April 28, 2023, accessed December 4, 2023
- ^ Wolfgang Bartels: "Sea Punks" from Kreuznach on their first mission in the Mediterranean. In: Allgemeine Zeitung. VRM Verlag, December 14, 2022, accessed December 4, 2023
- ^ "Mission report Sea Punk I". Sea Punks e.V. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ Linda: Deployment in stormy times: Triage, grief, and solidarity. In: RESQSHIP. September 30, 2023, accessed December 4, 2023 (German)
- ^ https://twitter.com/sea_punks/status/1704876141805232384. Accessed December 4, 2023
- ^ Migranti: le immagini del salvataggio della ong Sea Punks. Tre bambini non ce l'hanno fatta (tr, "Migrants: Images of the rescue by the NGO Sea Punks. Three children died."). In: La Repubblica. January 26, 2025, accessed on January 27, 2025 (Italian)
- ^ Washington Post:3 toddlers dead Italy. In: Washington Post. January 27, 2025, accessed January 28, 2025 (English)
- ^ HR Hessenschau: The sea rescuers of the "Sea Punk One." In: ARD Mediathek. February 6, 2025, accessed February 8, 2025
- ^ "The obstruction of search and rescue vessels causes hundreds of deaths at sea". Sea Punks e.V. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ "Street Team". Sea Punks e.V. (in German). Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ Reading helps: Thorsten Nagelschmidt x Sea Punks. Accessed December 4, 2023
- ^ Frauke Torz: Fuel for the Sea Punk One – Soli-Fete. November 28, 2022, accessed December 4, 2023 (German)
- ^ Wollo: Sea rescue is not a crime – Benefit album for Sea Punks e. V. (Update: €60,000!). December 22, 2022, accessed December 4, 2023 (German)
External links
- Sea Punks website
- Sea Punk I at vesselfinder website