The President of the Red Cross in the Region of Murcia, Faustino Herrero, accompanied by the councillor for Civil Protection and Police in San Pedro del Pinatar, Angela Gaona, and the Secretary of the Ministry of Murcia’s President, Isabel Bueso, were on hand last Thursday to welcome to the Red Cross fleet their new Maritime Rescue vessel that will be available to the volunteer teams in order to develop their humanitarian work in the Mar Menor.

The LS-Selene is a semi-rigid boat, 8.5 metres length and 2.44 metres beam that will have its base of operations in the port of Lo Pagán. It replaces the vessel LS- Del Mar Dos that has now returned to its base in Valencia, after almost 5 years of service in the waters of the Mar Menor.

The LS-Selene will join with the other 6 Maritime Rescue vessels operated on the Murcian coast by the Red Cross, composed of 136 volunteers, who have been able to perform 412 rescues so far this year, 60 of them in the waters of the Mar Menor.

The activities of the Red Cross teams in the area range from the rescue of human lives, search and rescue of missing persons, support in search operations for survivors as well as support in activities to combat pollution or the towing of vessels which might have problems.

The Councillor for Civil Protection, Angela Gaona, said that this type of investment contributes toward improving safety in the Mar Menor and she highlighted the valuable work carried out by the Red Cross in the field of maritime rescue.