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Dorus Rijkers (31276391536)
Dorus Rijkers

Theodorus "Dorus" Rijkers (January 27, 1847 – April 19, 1928) was a very famous Dutch lifeboat captain. He was known as a folk hero for saving many lives at sea. Dorus is most famous for rescuing 487 people from shipwrecks. He did this over 38 official rescue missions. He had also saved at least 25 people before he even joined the lifeboat service.

'Opa' Dorus

Dorus got his nickname "Grandpa" (which is "Opa" in Dutch) when he was still a young man. He married Neeltje Huisman, who was a fisherman's widow. She already had six children. Soon after they got married, Neeltje's oldest daughter had her own child. So, Dorus became a "grandpa" at only 23 years old! This happened in Den Helder, where he lived.

At first, the nickname was a joke. But Dorus soon started acting and even looking like a grandpa. From then on, everyone knew him mostly by his nickname, "Opa."

Career as a Lifeboat Captain

Dorus became very famous because of his work with the Noord- en Zuid-Hollandsche Redding Maatschappij (NZHRM). This was one of the two main Dutch lifeboat groups at the time. The NZHRM later became the Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij (KNRM), which is still active today.

His life-saving career actually started in 1872. This was before he joined the NZHRM. He was the captain of his own boat then. While at sea, he saved all 25 crew members from the ship Australia. They were about to drown. Because of this brave act, Dorus became known as a great rescuer.

When he joined the NZHRM, he was already famous. Because of his reputation, he was made a coxswain right away. A coxswain is the person who steers the lifeboat. This meant he could immediately command his own boat and crew.

Dorus joined the NZHRM as a volunteer. But he worked so many hours that he couldn't take other paid jobs. Dorus and his crew members received money for each practice and each rescue mission.

During his almost 30 years with the NZHRM, Dorus saved hundreds of people. He became a legend long before he retired. In the waters where he worked, he saved so many people. The number of people who survived shipwrecks went up a lot. Towards the end of his career, he was still active. But his role became more like a symbol of hope and bravery.

Honored by King William III

In 1888, Dorus Rijkers met King William III of the Netherlands. This happened after he rescued sailors from the German ship Renown. The King gave Dorus a special gold medal of honor. They even smoked a pipe together.

Retirement

Dorus retired in 1911 when he was 64 years old. After he retired, he received only a very small pension. He had to live very simply and eat plain food to get by.

In October 1922, a newspaper editor named Dr. L.A. Rademaker interviewed Dorus. Dorus told him about his difficult situation. He said he had to sell his gold medal of honor just to buy a bicycle. After Dorus's story and the struggles of other retired life-savers were shared in the newspaper, a special fund was created. It was called the Helden der Zee Fonds 'Dorus Rijkers' (Dorus Rijkers Fund for the Heroes of the Sea).

Death

Dorus Rijkers passed away in April 1928 at the age of 81. His funeral was very grand. It was so big that it looked like a state funeral. There was music and a large parade. Thousands of people came to say goodbye. Many Marine Officers and high-ranking government officials were there too. This included people from the Ministry of the Marine.

The amazing funeral showed how much people respected Dorus. He had become a national hero. A poll in the 1920s showed he was the most popular Dutchman of those years.

Legacy

There is a very large statue in honor of all Dutch sea-rescuers. It was opened in 1935. Sometimes people think this statue is just for Dorus, but it's for everyone. A separate, smaller statue of Dorus was put up in 1939.

One of the KNRM rescue boats still carries his name with pride. Dorus is widely known as one of the greatest rescuers of all time.

Streets Named After Dorus Rijkers

Images for kids

  • List of Rescue from DR

    A 1911 list showing Dorus's most important rescues between 1872-1911 (including the Renown-rescue). His full name, 'Theodorus', is used here.

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