Few people can say their lives have been as deeply shaped by the sea as Alan Woolnough. From building his own yachts in the early 1980s, to racing across oceans, to surviving a capsizing and even a dramatic night-time helicopter rescue, Alan has lived through both the thrill and the danger of life at sea.
Around that same time, the NSRI was still building up its rescue facilities and had launched its Life Membership programme to fund its growth. A life member is someone who makes a once-off donation, historically a significant contribution at the time, that secures their membership for life, rather than paying annual fees or renewals.
When the call for support went out, Alan stepped forward with a donation. By chance, he was the very first – making him the NSRI’s Life Member No. 1.
More than 40 years later, it’s a title he still carries with pride.
For him, it comes down to one truth: most people will never know what it feels like to be stranded at sea, but if that moment ever comes, there is no greater comfort than knowing the NSRI is out there.
Watch Alan share his story of adventure, survival, and a lifetime of support for the NSRI.
Photo of the month: September 2025
Read More
The NSRI has reached a new milestone in Nelson Mandela Bay, with the installation of the metro's first three Pink Rescue Buoys at high-risk points around North End Lake, marking the start of a drowning prevention drive for the area's ...
Navigating through 3 to 4 metre swells 8 nautical miles off the Port of Port Elizabeth, NSRI Gqeberha crew carried out a challenging maritime medical evacuation before dawn on Wednesday, 22 July, bringing an injured seafarer safely to hospital. ...
A 38-year-old seafarer is recovering in hospital after a dramatic multi-agency rescue in Table Bay on Wednesday, 22 July, made possible by the swift action of a local fishing vessel that answered a call for help over the marine radio ...