Base showcase: Station 35 (Witbank)

Watching over the largest municipal dam in South Africa, this dedicated station celebrates 10 years of service this year.

One of five NSRI stations situated on inland dams, Station 35 in Witbank celebrates 10 years of service this year, headed up by one of its founders, station commander Travis Clack.

Travis and long-time friend Dean Wegerle – the station’s founding commander, who is now an NSRI training officer – are old friends and were self-described “NSRI fanboys” long before joining the organisation.

“We ran the yacht club’s rescue boats at Witbank Damn for quite some time, helping with recovering vessels and assisting yachts that had either run aground or broken loose from their moorings,” says Travis.

In 2010, a terrible tragedy occurred on the dam. A company had hired a pontoon boat for their staff for a year-end party, but the boat capsized and six people lost their lives.

The two friends spoke about the incident at length, and after much discussion, they decided to approach the NSRI about establishing a base.

Station 35 formally opened in August 2014, equipped with the 4.7 RIB and ample PPE for the eight founding crew members.

“The station has grown from strength to strength,” says Travis. “As a newer station, we have had some speed bumps, but in the end, we came out smiling. From where we started, to three coxswains in such a small crew, is quite an achievement in my eyes.”

Today, the crew is comprised of nine volunteers, and Travis cites this lack of expansion as one of his main challenges as station commander.

“We would love to grow the crew. We have a lack of experienced crew,” says Travis. “While many new volunteers have joined the station over the years, they tend to be youth who are very enthusiastic, but upon completing their high school careers, often leave the area or embark on careers and no longer have the capacity to volunteer.”

Travis hopes the new base building will become a drawcard for more volunteers from the area, as, up until now, the crew have mostly been operating out of a 3x9m shed.

“A contractor was recently appointed to start construction, and it should be finished in September this year.”

Until then, it’s business as usual for the dedicated crew, who train every Wednesday evening, as well as one day per month on the weekend, when operational training often takes them to neighbouring dams.

“We have a young and lively crew that is very committed,” says deputy station commander Francois du Randt. “They also work well with other rescue teams outside the NSRI that we have to interact with regularly when out on calls.”

Francois joined the station in 2019 after his wife told him they were looking for shore controllers, a vital role at every NSRI station. Shore controllers are the calm voice on the radio back at base; they care for the families who are anxiously waiting for news, plot coordinates, activate resources and relay vital information to the boat crew. Francois was, however, invited to be part of the sea-going crew instead, and the rest is history.

“It is great to be part of an organisation that gives back to people, especially when in need. Most people want something in return for helping someone. What really makes being part of the NSRI great for me is the fact that we will help 24/7 without asking for anything in return,” says Francois.

Surprisingly, boating and water sports incidents on the dam do not form the bulk of the station’s callouts.

“The boaters on the dam look after each other – usually, we’re only called in if something goes very wrong, or occasionally if a vessel runs out of fuel and the skippers' mates abandon him,” says Travis.

Rather, the majority of callouts are for swift-water rescues – in other words, flooding.

“Sadly, these are often body retrieval operations,” says Travis. One of the most tragic examples was the incident in which 14 worshippers were swept away along the banks of the Jukskei River during a flash flood in December 2022.

As for the future, Travis and his crew have been hatching a plan to launch an inland initiative similar to the NSRI’s coastwatchers – these are volunteers located in hotpots spots along the coast, which allows them to provide vital information on emergency incidents. “We’d like to do something similar, only ours will be called ‘inland waterwatchers’,” says Travis.

From its humble beginnings as a response to tragedy, Station 35 has evolved into a vital resource for the region, and is well-positioned to continue making a difference in the lives of those they serve for another 20 years, and beyond.

If you would like to donate towards Station 35’s new base building, contact station35@searescue.org.za