Blanca Quiroga rescue boat

One of the symbols of maritime solidarity of Galicia, and Spain, the Blanca Quiroga, the emblematic rescue boat of the Red Cross of the Sea, rests in Bens Park (60.5 hectares) since 2022, overlooking the sea in which it served for 29 years.

The A Coruña Maritime Rescue Base was created in 1971 after the shipwreck of the fishing boat La Isla (04/10/1970) in the vicinity of the Tower of Hercules and the death of 14 of its 15 crew members. This human tragedy highlighted the serious shortcomings of a basic service and an urgent need for becoming professional. Later, after a great social mobilisation, the Red Cross of the Sea, the Special Group of Underwater Activities of the Civil Guard (GEAS) and a base for the Air Rescue Service helicopter of the Air Force were created in the city. A Coruña was the first Spanish port to have an efficient maritime rescue service.

Since the official delivery of the Blanca Quiroga on 18 August 1973 (it had arrived on 26 June), its service record includes hundreds of interventions and numerous rescues thanks to the commitment of a volunteer crew, whose bravery was recognised on many occasions. Two of the most important marine disasters in which he participated were the shipwreck of the Urquiola (1976) and the Aegean Sea (03/12/1992).