THE clock was wound back 40 years as ‘old timers’ called back the past to celebrate four decades of heroic NSRI Richards Bay Station 19 voluntary service to the public.
In a nostalgic review of past efforts that led the local branch now enjoying the finest facility in the country, many ‘war stories’ were shared of the days when Sea Rescue was established with few resources but plenty of enthusiasm.
At the same time, 30 years of hard toil from the base’s flagship ‘Spirit of Richards Bay’ was also celebrated.
First to the podium was Steven Bentley, who served as Station Commander in 1983 and spoke on the origins of the station.
With the opening of the new Port of Richards Bay, the necessity for an NSRI presence was evident to all and through his involvement with the RB Six consortium that built the harbour, they recruited suitably qualified members and equipped a rudimentary shed as a base.
‘The scene was set for the biggest bunch of scavengers in NSRI over the next 15 years,’ he quipped.
Things really moved ahead when the first vessel, Aberdare, was acquired, although the launch winch was deemed ‘the biggest exercise machine in Richards Bay’.
Crew training was amateurish by today’s standards, but the tough going ensured a high level of ‘tanned, fit and invincible’ crew, according to second speaker Kelvin Thomas – Station Commander between 1977 and 1980.
‘In the days before GPS, smart phones and Wind Guru, call-outs relied on local knowledge and intuition more than precise navigation.
‘But we did purchase a small surf boat and converted an abandoned ambulance into a beach road vehicle that could move crew quicker to places like Sodwana,’ said Thomas.
‘The first deep sea boat acquired, the 47ft Spirit of Safmarine, proved too big and was exchanged for the 8-metre Hubert Davies – which had endless problems finally sorted out expertly by Ubaldo Faranacci.
‘Our most memorable call-out was when the freighter Tong Nam broke in half off the Tugela and 32 Korean crew took to the lifeboats.
‘We worked on scene for two days in tough conditions, recovering too many bodies. Perhaps because there was no trauma counselling then, we had some resignations after that.’
Thomas concluded by saying: ‘There can be no greater privilege than to save a man’s life – and then deliver him home to his kids and his wife’.
Number of firsts
Former Station Commander (1997-98, 2007-2010) and now Operations Director at NSRI headquarters in Cape Town, Mark Hughes, said Station 19 has a number of records to its credit, including the first road vehicle, first female members and longest single operation at sea (58 hours).
‘With a budget of R122-million this year – of which R40-million is for capex – new state-of-the-art boats plus a huge investment in training and equipment will ensure safety for our crews, who are our priority.’
Mike Patterson, veteran of 44 years with the NSRI, 15 of these as Station Commander, shared many memorable experiences, while crew member Willem de Waal explained how and why the present base was built, thanks to massive donations from industry and public and private donors.
‘We got what we wanted: were no longer ‘puddle pirates’ but a force to be reckoned with.’
National Donor Liaison official Janet Burgess said some 37 000 people have been saved since the NSRI was founded in 1967.
