[1] Dorus received his nickname Grandpa (Dutch: Opa) while still a young man: he had married Neeltje Huisman, a fisherman's widow who already had six children.

Shortly after the marriage, the oldest of Neeltje's daughters had a child of her own, and so at only 23 years old Dorus became known as "Opa" in Den Helder where he lived.

Dorus gained most of his fame as a result of his service to the Noord- en Zuid-Hollandsche Redding Maatschappij (NZHRM), one of the two main Dutch lifeboat-societies at the time.

During his nearly 30 years service with the NZHRM, Dorus saved hundreds of people from drowning at sea, becoming legendary long before his retirement.

[citation needed] In 1888, Dorus Rijkers met King William III of the Netherlands after rescuing sailors from the German barque Renown.

There was music, a big parade, thousands who came to pay their last respects including a large number of Marine Officers, also high ranking government officials, among them representatives of the Ministry of the Navy.