Kewatec has delivered a Rescue 1400 lifeboat to the Austrian Water Rescue Association in Lake Constance. The 14-metre-long boat is Austria’s largest lifeboat with a top speed of around 36 knots. Every year, the Water Rescue Association rescues about 30 people from nearby lakes and rivers.
Last Sunday in Bregenz, Austria, our lifeboat was named “V9”, like her two predecessors in a festive event where the Water Rescue Association also celebrated their 70th birthday. The boat was baptized by the local bishop, Benno Elbs, who said that the boat symbolized human life, where sometimes we also need the help of other people. At the event, Governor Markus Wallner also thanked the competent rescue work carried out year after year by the water rescuers. The Austrian Water Rescue Association has about 1,400 active members.
The boat is equipped with high-tech rescue equipment such as underwater sonar and gyrostabilized infrared camera. Local people have described the boat as a floating hospital.
Training in progress
We are currently training the crew on how to use the boat and hope that it will be helpful for future water rescue operations. The boat is 14 m long, and 4.3 m wide with a top speed of around 36 knots. The boat has two 480 hp Volvo Penta IPS diesel engines with exhaust emission treatment to comply with strong environmental standards. The boat will be stationed in the harbor of Bregenz by the Lake Constance.
