Kewatec Deliver Third Search and Rescue Boat for ICE-SAR Delivered to Iceland
Reykjavík, Iceland - The latest search and rescue boat for the Icelandic Search and Rescue Association (ICE-SAR, Slysavarnafélagið Landsbjörg) has arrived at Reykjavík's port. The boat was welcomed with ceremonies at its future homeport and handed over to the Ársæli Rescue Team. In attendance were rescue teams with various rescue vessels, the organization's chairman, and a priest from Selfoss.
The third boat, named Jóhannes Briem, was handed over during the ceremony on 7th October 2023, and in conjunction with this milestone, a new contract to produce the fourth boat was also signed. The fourth boat will be located at Snæfellsnes. The boats are Kewatec Serecraft SAR 17 search and rescue boats, 17 meters long, known for their speed and self-righting ability.
Landsbjörg, with the aim of strengthening its search and rescue capabilities, intends to renew its entire fleet of thirteen search and rescue boats over the next decade. Users of Landsbjörg's boats have expressed satisfaction and approval for these new additions.
Chairman of the Ársæli rescue team, Alexander Pálmi Oddsson, stated in his speech how the new boat will replace the 40-year-old boat and that there are plans to replace the remaining old boats with new ones.
Slysavarnafélagið Landsbjörg, ICE-SAR, is a nonprofit, noncommercial, volunteer-based organization that specializes in search and rescue services on land and at sea around the coast of Iceland. It is a national association comprising rescue units and accident prevention divisions. With a vast network of 99 rescue units, 70 accident prevention units, women’s sections, and 50 youth units, ICE-SAR boasts a volunteer force of approximately 10,000 members and operates across most Icelandic cities.