Durban — The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has acknowledged and honoured more than 50 of its volunteers and four ordinary citizens who went above and beyond the call of duty in extraordinary endeavours to save lives.
The awards were bestowed upon the recipients at the NSRI’s 57th awards ceremony and annual general meeting held in Ballito on Friday.
From January 1 to December 31, 2023, the NSRI conducted 1126 rescue operations, rescuing 1822 people and 97 animals.
In total, 58 awards were presented during the ceremony, including 45 for rescues during the 2022 KZN floods.
A total of 17 Bronze and Silver Gallantry awards honouring the contributions of volunteers on rescues were presented.
And for the first time in the NSRI’s history, five Gold Gallantry awards were awarded to volunteers, said NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon.
Four Bravery awards were also presented at the ceremony to members of the public not affiliated with the NSRI.
Lambinon said the NSRI had never before awarded a Gallantry Gold to one of its volunteers.
“It is the highest award the organisation can issue.
“It is important to note that almost every day NSRI volunteers perform incredible rescues, but most are seen as ‘part of the job’ – even though the sea rescue crews do what they do for no compensation.
“Receiving a gold, silver or bronze Gallantry award is a recognition of extraordinary bravery and is truly admirable,” Lambinon said.
Five Gallantry Gold awards were presented this year, recognising rescues during the devastating April 2022 floods in KwaZulu-Natal.
Lambinon said that teams, including other search and rescue organisations and some civilians, worked through the night in extreme weather and dangerous conditions to rescue trapped and stranded people by swimming, via boats and jet skis, and airlifting stranded flood victims and many animals to safety.
Among the Gallantry Gold awards was Kevin Fourie and the team from Station 39, Rocky Bay, who performed numerous rescues on April 11, 2022.
Along with national and local emergency services, the team provided aid and assistance in flood-related incidents along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline and inland.
During the 15 hours over which they operated, this team rescued more than 200 people. Noteworthy was their rescue of a man and a young girl from a tree.
Another Gold Gallantry hero, Tyron Brennan of Station 5, Durban, led a harrowing rescue in Westville, where they extracted a family of three and their dogs trapped in their house which had collapsed due to surging swift waters and landslides.
Using portable jaws of life and a sledgehammer, they rescued the son and the father, who had crawled to safety despite his injuries.
NSRI Gold Gallantry award winners were: Kevin Fourie, Station 39 Rocky Bay; Travis Clark, Station 29 Rocky Bay; Quentin Power, Station 41 Ballito; Tyron Brennan, Station 5 Durban; and Johan Muller, Station 41 Ballito.
The organisation also recognised Ian Wienburg (Station 3 Table Bay) and Marty Reddering (Station 14 Plettenberg Bay) for their 50 years of volunteering for the NSRI.
NSRI CEO Dr Cleeve Robertson said: “Providing a national strategic rescue service from an entirely volunteer workforce is remarkable. We owe our volunteers a huge debt of gratitude for their selfless attitude, work, and the lives they save.”
In addition to the NSRI member volunteer awards, Bravery Gold awards were presented to members of the public who selflessly performed life-saving rescues in challenging conditions.
Members of the public who were recognised for their rescues during the Durban floods were: Jace Govender, Ryan Hansen and Leon Fourie.
The NSRI is a national volunteer rescue service on ocean and inland waters throughout South Africa and is 100% funded by public donations.
It is also the driver of an innovative water safety programme that provides essential drowning prevention resources where basic water safety and swimming skills resources are sorely lacking.
Over the past year alone, more than 905000 children were educated in water safety, and almost 18000 survival swimming lessons were presented – free of charge.
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Daily News