Dedicated Mike is longest serving NSRI volunteer

A SHINING example to younger and newer National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) volunteers, as well as those who may be contemplating joining, Mike Patterson has been involved in the organisation for almost half a century.

For his day job, Mike is Manager of the Zululand Chamber of Business Foundation and Business Against Crime, but outside the office he has undertaken various roles in the NSRI, including founding the Richards Bay station and serving as Station Commander for 19 years.

‘Growing up and living along the coast created a passion and a great respect for the sea,’ said Mike.

‘Several years’ ski boat fishing plus a year in the SA Navy made me realise the need to establish a Sea Rescue base on the Zululand coast.

‘This was obviously necessary to prevent loss of life along our dangerous and barren coastline.’

Thanks to Mike’s dedication, and that of the many other NSRI volunteers, Station 19 Richards Bay is now a grand 41 years old.

Mike served on the NSRI’s national board for seven years in the 1980s.

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He has received long service awards from three different South African presidents, including FW de Klerk, Nelson

Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, as well as various commendations for rescues.

‘One of my most memorable callouts was when we rescued 10 people off the Jolly Dolphin fishing trawler in the late 70s,’ said Mike.

‘It was this rescue where we set a record, which still stands, for the longest and most distant rescue operation.’

The trawler was floundering six miles from the Mozambican border, which meant Mike and his fellow crew members travelled 160 nautical miles to undertake what became a 55 hour rescue mission.

Remembering another rescue mission in which 21 people were rescued from the sinking bulk carrier Petingo off Port Durnford, Mike said this was relatively easy compared to the many vessels they have towed back to port over the years

‘The success of any rescue is teamwork, and the readiness of our volunteer crew to risk their lives to rescue others is always amazing, with their only reward being the satisfaction of knowing they played a role in the saving of a stranger who was in peril at sea.’

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