| Dorus Rijkers | | Lifeboat-captain, saviour of more than 500 men, women and children from drowning at open sea |
 Painting of Dorus Rijkers, at sea, probably during a rescue | | Reign | 1886–1911 | | Born | January 28, 1847 | | Died | April 19, 1928 | | Den Helder | Dorus Rijkers (January 28, 1847 – April 19, 1928) was a famous Dutch lifeboat captain and folk hero. He was very popular in his active years, after his retirement, and after his death. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Year 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...
1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ...
January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...
April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ...
Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ...
Den Helder is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. ...
January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...
April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ...
Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ...
Captain is a nautical term, an organizational title, and a rank in various uniformed organizations. ...
A folk hero is type of hero, real or possibly mythological. ...
Time as a lifeboat captain
Dorus gained most of his fame by joining the Dutch lifeboats, called de Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij, the KNRM. However, his life-saving career began in 1872, before he joined the KNRM. While captain of his own boat, he had saved all 25 crew members of the barque Australia from drowning at sea. Because of this incident, Dorus already had the reputation of a saviour when he joined the KNRM, and he did not have to prove his qualifications to receive the position of captain. Instead, he immediately received the distinguished rank and his own boat and crew. During his nearly 30 years service with the KNRM, he saved hundreds of people from drowning at sea, becoming legendary even before his retirement. In the waters where he was active, he saved so many people, with such effectiveness, that the percentages of people dying there became quite low. At the end of his career, although he remained active, his function was also symbolic. Severn class lifeboat in Poole Harbour, Dorset, England. ...
The Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij (KNRM ) is the Dutch voluntary organisation tasked with saving lives at sea along the Dutch coast of the North Sea and on the Ijsselmeer. ...
Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...
A legend (Latin, legenda, things to be read) is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude. ...
Grandpa Dorus received his nickname Grandpa while still a young man. He had married a fisherman´s widow who had eight children. Shortly after the marriage, the oldest daughter had a child of her own, and so at only 23 years old, Dorus became known as Grandpa in Den Helder where he lived. Although the nickname began as a joke, Dorus soon started acting and looking like a grandpa, and from that time on, nobody knew him other than by his nickname. Den Helder is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. ...
Honored by King WIlliam III In 1888, Dorus Rijkers met King William III of the Netherlands. After the spectacular rescue of the sailors from the German barque Renown, the King asked to meet the heroic lifeboat–captain in person. The King gave Dorus a gold medal of honour and smoked a pipe with him. Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...
William III, King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg (William Alexander Paul Frederick Louis of Orange-Nassau) (Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk van Oranje-Nassau, Koning der Nederlanden en Groothertog van Luxemburg in Dutch) (February 19, 1817 – November 23, 1890) was King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke...
A barc is a type of sailing vessel. ...
// The Renown was a German ship, of the barque-type. ...
Look up pipe in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
After his retirement In 1911, Dorus retired at age 64, and he received only a very small pension. Although he never complained, he struggled to make ends meet. He ate very simple food, lived plainly, and was often in financial need. At the age of 70, he had to sell the gold medal of honour in order to buy himself a bicycle. This incident prompted the Dutch people to create a fund for Dorus that provided a comfortable income for him and many other old sailors. Dorus Rijkers had become a national hero and was by far the most popular Dutchman of those years (according to a poll that surveyed many Dutch people during the 1920s). A pension is a steady income given to a person (usually after retirement). ...
A Medal is a word used for various types of compact objects: a wearable medal awarded by an authority government for services redered, especially to a country (such as Armed force service); strictly speaking this only refers to a medal of coin-like appearance, but informally the word also refers...
“Velo†redirects here. ...
After his death
Image of the state funeral of Dorus Rijkers, folk hero who saved 500 men, women, and children from drowning, 1928. In April 1928, Dorus Rijkers died peacefully in bed at the ripe old age of 81. He was given a state funeral. Thousands attened his funeral procession, a testament to the public esteem for him. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ...
Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ...
The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...
Legacy The remaining money in the fund was used for his memorial: a huge statue depicting the old Dorus Rijkers, watching over the sea, wearing all his medals--including the medal he had been forced to sell. (The amateur collector who had purchased the medal had seen Dorus's name engraved on it and had immediately returned it to him.) Today, the boat Dorus used for most of his rescues still exists, and many Dutch rescue boats of the KNRM still carry his name with pride. Dorus is generally acknowledged as one of the greatest rescuers of all time.
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