National Sea Rescue Institute Of South Africa

"Spirit Of St Francis Bay" - Rescue craft and crew of Station 21 in action at St Francis Bay.

This organisation was formed in 1967 to help save lives at sea on our vast expanse of coastline. It is a non-profit organisation run and crewed by volunteers of the public who give up their spare time to serve the coastal communities in the area they live in.

These men and women have to undergo special training in everything ranging from seamanship, mechanical, first aid and fire fighting. By the time they complete their training they are very highly qualified.

I joined the NSRI in 1973 when I settled at St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape and served as a volunteer until 2000. During that time I did all the necessary training and qualified as a coxswain (captain) on the 7 metre inshore rescue craft. I was involved in many rescue operations during that time. These call-outs usually involved problems occurring with local fishing vessels and their crews – many times it was a sick crew member that had to be brought ashore for treatment.

The fishing vessel "Visser Een" driven onto the rocks at Port St Francis.

There was one operation that stands out during the 90’s when a small ski-boat with three fishermen went missing on a weekend. We were called out only when they did not return to shore in the evening. The rescue boat was launched and searched the whole night until morning without finding anything. Their upturned boat was later found with the body of one of the men who died of hypothermia. The other two were picked up alive a few miles from there in their life jackets.

Part of the hull of the "Yacht Wesbank" that was wrecked at Cape St Francis in the 90's.

There are over thirty rescue stations dotted around our coastline as well as a few on our inland lakes and dams. So when you hear about these calamities at sea, spare a thought for these unpaid intrepid men and women who risk their lives in going to sea in all weather conditions - especially for the men and women of NSRI Station 21 St Francis bay!

Credit: My own blog. Photos & video are mine except the main photo, courtesy of NSRI.