JACE Govender received the highest bravery award from the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) in honour of his courage and selfless actions in rescuing over 200 people during the 2022 KZN floods.
On July 19, the NSRI held its 57th annual awards evening and AGM at the Capital Zimbali in Ballito. This event was a heartfelt celebration of devoted volunteers and courageous individuals who selflessly risk their lives to rescue others.
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Among the distinguished awardees was Govender, an Isipingo resident, skipper and superintendent of eThekwini beaches, who was one of three individuals to receive the NSRI Bravery Award: Gold.
Despite the hazardous conditions on April 11, 2022, Govender, alongside Kevin Fourie and Travis Clarke from the NSRI Rocky Bay station, and other rescue personnel, rendered aid and assistance in multiple flood-related incidents that occurred along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline and inland. In particular, the NSRI acknowledged Govender’s role on Fourie’s team and his actions in the rescue of over 200 people from a variety of predicaments during the 15 hours the team operated along the freeway and side roads between Isipingo, Prospecton and Umgababa.
His certificate read, “Especially noteworthy is the difficulty experienced by Fourie and his team to rescue a man and a young girl from a tree along the freeway, firstly using a JetRib (rescue craft), and then with Fourie and Clarke transferring to Govender’s sardine boat after the JetRib ingested debris. Once Govender had navigated to the tree, Clarke entered the water, and using personal flotation devices and throw lines, with Fourie in the boat, retrieved the two people from the tree, one by one, across the raging river of flood water into the boat and then safely ashore. This process was repeated in Isipingo with Govender’s boat instrumental in retrieving several casualties from trees and roofs, floating on vehicles, drums and containers, with 27 people alone rescued from the first floor of a contaminated chemical factory. Exhausted, the team stood down at 17:30.”
Govender said it is an honour and privilege to receive this award as only a handful of people have received it. “We get out there every day to assist people, and it’s nice when you get recognised for it with such a prestigious award, especially from the NSRI. The year 2022 is something that will go down in the history books as thousands of people needed assistance at once. We lost over 400 people and could’ve lost many more if it were not for the efforts of the brave men and women who were out there for over 24 hours rescuing and assisting people,” he said.
This is not the first time he has been recognised for his rescue efforts, as he also received a bravery award at Lifesaving South Africa’s 2022 bravery awards ceremony.
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