Denis Morande New head of the SNSM’s rescue operations
Denis Morandeau, who has been a volunteer with the SNSM in Saint-Martin since arriving on the island in August 2021, has just been appointed mission leader. This new role is in keeping with a career that has largely centred on the sea and rescue operations.
Aged 48 and originally from Brittany, he developed a passion for the maritime world at a very early age. He obtained his coastal sailing licence and his BNSSA at the age of 20, hoping to become a coastguard. Unable to pursue this career in France, he turned to the gendarmerie and its maritime units. A rescue diver specialising in at-sea rescue operations from a helicopter for three years in Gironde and the Landes, he then spent thirteen years working as an investigative diver and boat pilot in Charente-Maritime, before joining the Saint-Martin Water Police.
At the SNSM, he now puts this experience to good use in supporting volunteers and rescue operations. With particularly heavy maritime traffic, especially during the tourist season, and state resources at sea remaining limited in the Northern Islands, this new role allows him to combine his professional work with his voluntary activities.
The mission leader is responsible, in particular, for ensuring that technical equipment, first-aid supplies and the crew’s qualifications are in order, and for coordinating the operation.
Denis Morandeau, who is also a qualified shipboard lifeguard, emphasises the importance of training, physical fitness and, above all, teamwork. “As long as you’re passionate about the sea, you’ll find your place within the SNSM, whether on land or at sea.”
