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 work at the shipyard the ship stayed in Greifswald for a period,[9] and Burriana (Spain),[10][11] before entering its first deployment in May 2023.[12]

The Sea Punk I in action

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 I, 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

  1. ↑ "Über uns" [About us]. Sea Punks e.V. (in German). Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  2. 1 2 Golze, Katharina (1 June 2023). "Von Greifswald ins Mittelmeer: Wann die Sea Punks zur Seenotrettung aufbrechen | SVZ" [From Greifswald to Sea Rescue: Sea Punks Abort Mission]. svz.de (in German). Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Sea Punks e.V. bei Radio Fluchtpunkt" [Sea Punks e.V. at Radio Fluchtpunkt]. www.ggua.de (in German). 14 September 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  4. ↑ Julino, Jonas (19 October 2020). ""Seapunks" on sea rescue: "Punk means doing it yourself". Die Tageszeitung: taz. ISSN 0931-9085.
  5. ↑ "Rise Above". Sea Punks e.V. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  6. ↑ "Christmas present from Bad Kreuznach for refugees". www.allgemeine-zeitung.de. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  7. ↑ "Die SEA PUNK I sticht mit zwei Organisationen und Deiner Unterstützung in See!" [SEA PUNK I sets sail with two organizations and your support!]. medical-volunteers.org (in German). Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "Darmstadt resident buys ship and wants to rescue people in the Mediterranean". hessenschau de, Frankfurt Germany (in German). 19 March 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "Why Theresa is involved with the Sea Punks". www.deutschlandfunknova.de. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Sea Punks on the Edge of Europe". katapult-mv.de. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  11. ↑ Bartels, Wolfgang (14 December 2022). ""Sea Punks" from Kreuznach on their first mission in the Mediterranean". Allgemeine Zeitung. VRM Verlag. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "Mission report Sea Punk I". Sea Punks e.V. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  13. ↑ "Linda: Deployment in stormy times: Triage, grief, and solidarity". RESQSHIP (in German). 30 September 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "sea_punks/status". twitter.com. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  15. ↑ "Migranti: le immagini del salvataggio della ong Sea Punks. Tre bambini non ce l'hanno fatta" [Migrants: Images of the rescue by the NGO Sea Punks. Three children died.]. La Repubblica (in Italian). 26 January 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  16. ↑ "3 toddlers dead Italy". Washington Post. 27 January 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  17. ↑ "The sea rescuers of the "Sea Punk One."". HR Hessenschau: ARD Mediathek. 6 February 2025. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  18. ↑ "The obstruction of search and rescue vessels causes hundreds of deaths at sea". Sea Punks e.V. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  19. ↑ "Street Team". Sea Punks e.V. (in German). Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  20. ↑ "Reading helps: Thorsten Nagelschmidt x Sea Punks". www.fluxfm.de. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  21. ↑ Frauke Torz (28 November 2022). "Fuel for the Sea Punk One – Soli-Fete". frizz-wuerzburg.de (in German). Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  22. ↑ "Wollo: Sea rescue is not a crime – Benefit album for Sea Punks e. V. (Update: €60,000!)". whiskey-soda.de (in German). 22 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
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