Base showcase: Station 25 (Hartbeespoort Dam)

The crew protecting this water sport paradise will be celebrating 20 years of service this year.

During his five-year tenure as Station Commander, Arthur Crewe is proud to say that response times have starkly improved, and the Hartbeespoort base has been put on the map, so to speak, when it comes to inland water rescue operations.

“Not many people were aware that the NSRI also operated inland,” says Arthur.

[The NSRI has five additional inland bases: Station 22 (Vaal Dam), Station 27 (Gauteng), Station 35 (Witbank), Station 38 (Theewaterskloof) and Station 51 (Gariep Dam).]

Not only does his crew of 20 service the busy water-sport mecca that is ‘Harties’, as it’s affectionately known, but also hundreds of kilometres of inland rivers in the surrounding area.

“We can travel up to 300 kilometres for a rescue call out. We always have a vessel on the dam, and one for mobile rescues. Many of the other local rescue services and police are understaffed, so we’re often called in for assistance. There aren’t many who have swift-water rescue skills in the area, so we’re busy, that’s for sure.”

While June is the month that marks the 20-year anniversary of the station’s founding in 2003, the celebration – which will also be the occasion for a massive recruitment drive – has been postponed until September, when a big function is planned including helicopters, displays, and VIP guests from the Volunteer Support Centre (the NSRI’s head office).

Arthur’s crew of 20 consists of eight dedicated core crew members who are on call 24-7, while the rest, participate in training and assist in rescues when their day jobs and transport options allow.

“My focus is to increase the number of qualified emergency professionals on our crew. Doctors, paramedics. It’s happening.”

Arthur himself has worked in medical, rescue and law enforcement industries his whole life, and has his own ambulance and rescue training company, so water rescue has been a natural extension for him.

Training at the base is seasonal. “In winter, the water is freezing, so we don’t get wet unless absolutely necessary, such as for a rescue operation. It’s too dangerous. So we spend more time on fire and rope rescue training, medical training, and so on. In Summer, we’re back in the water.”

While many flock to the dam to fish, boat, swim and ski, Arthur and his crew are well aware of how treacherous the dam waters can be.

Water hyacinth grows unchecked, and is often the cause of boat engines jamming. “It can take hours to conduct a rescue in thick water hyacinth.” Rotting hyacinth can also affect the water’s chemistry, as can sewage entering damn during flooding. “If necessary, I’ll have my team wear hazmat suits to protect against toxicity – but that’s rarely necessary.”

Floods have certainly increased, in Arthur’s estimation, in recent years.

In December 2022, flash floods in Gauteng swept away a group of 30 worshippers along the banks of the Jukskei River, and Hartbeespoort, as well as other inland NSRI stations joined in the rescue effort. “We received about 150 callouts in two days,” says Arthur.

Apart from floods, the most common types of rescues involve boats crashing into other boats, and fires on boats. “There’s debris in the water – propellers, gearboxes, even tree trunks, things like that – and boats sometimes hit them at speed,” says Arthur. And getting stuck in water hyacinth – “that’s probably our most common problem”.

Arthur’s two children – son Keagan and daughter Monique – have followed in his footsteps and are both members of the Station 25 crew. In fact, Monique was promoted to deputy station commander in 2022.

“Our family works well together, we understand each other, and we know that we always have each other’s back no matter what situation we are placed in,” says Monique. “Also, because we are a family base, we work so much harder to save lives. It can be challenging sometimes but I wouldn’t have it any other way! Our crew are very hard working and selfless, and they’re always trying to help our community.”

Monique also works in her father’s security company and is a first responder in her area.

“I have volunteered my whole life, giving back to my communities and the animals around me. Volunteering at NSRI has made me feel like I belong to something bigger and given me the platform to reach out and help so many more people. I will always love the NSRI and dedicate my time to living out our goals and missions.”

On the Station 25 equipment wish list is an underwater drone, to help with underwater search efforts – “It would radically cut recovery times, as these searches are currently conducted by police divers”.

As for the future, Arthur is hopeful that the celebration in September will attract more volunteers and expand the core group of committed, professional crew.

Here’s to another 20 years of rescue excellence at ‘Harties’!

Photos supplied by Hot Pepper Photography.