Imperial gift for great hero

Watch for rescue operation

The North German bark Renown ran aground near Den Helder on December 9, 1887. After a few hours, Dorus Rijkers and his Blue Sea Knights managed to rescue 11 of the 25 shipwrecked survivors. Due to circumstances, they had to wait until the next morning to launch a new rescue operation. During this time, they were able to save another 7 shipwrecked survivors. On December 11, they pulled the final 5 from the water. Unfortunately, 2 crew members did not survive this disaster. For this rescue, Dorus Rijkers received a gold pocket watch from the German Emperor on April 19, 1888. You can now view it in the museum.