Meet Paul Bevis: a life shaped by Sea Rescue

For nearly four decades, Paul Bevis has been a constant presence in the NSRI. Since joining in December 1987, he has thrown himself into every aspect of Sea Rescue – from daring call-outs in rough seas to shaping the very infrastructure that supports the organisation.

Paul’s motivation is simple: I’m an adrenaline junkie. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t do drugs – so to get the adrenaline rush that I needed, I got it through NSRI.”

In those early years, he and fellow NSRI stalwarts, including Brett Ayres, Executive Director of Rescue Services, combined their love for adventure with their commitment to the rescue service, rock climbing, river rafting, and, as Paul puts it, “playing boat-boat every single weekend.”

Over the years, Paul has been part of countless rescues, but a few remain etched in his memory.

One involved a yacht that ran aground south of Durban in heavy seas. Launching a small 4-metre rescue craft with his colleague, Dorian Robertson, Paul remembers being handed the tiller at a critical moment.  “My eyes were big, like a dog’s balls,” he says. “But we judged it, went in, and eventually swam out to get the skipper off the yacht.”

Through determination, skill, and teamwork, they made several trips to bring the man safely ashore – a rescue that left a lasting mark on Paul.

Another rescue took place during severe flooding when two children were trapped in the middle of a river. Against the current, and alongside SAPS search and rescue, Paul managed to reach them, moving them to safety where police could assist. “I single-handedly managed to get these two guys from where they were trapped into an area where I could help them,” Paul recalls.

These are the moments that define a rescuer, Paul says – the moments that stay with you long after the adrenaline fades.

Beyond rescues, Paul’s NSRI experience has opened unexpected doors in his professional life. “Because of my sea rescue experience, I was asked to get involved in salvage work as a safety boat operator,” he says. From there, he built a career in marine construction and has gone on to lead projects that have transformed NSRI infrastructure.

He and his team have rebuilt ramps and slipways at bases, including Simon’s Town, Hermanus, Port Elizabeth and Mykonos, with Hout Bay next on the list. “We structure the work in such a way that the NSRI gets the best benefit from my experience,” Paul explains.

Even after 38 years, teaching the next generation of volunteers remains a highlight. “When I am available and I go to the base, I’m able to teach, and whilst I’m teaching, I’m able to have fun,” he says. Paul finds passing on knowledge and life skills to be as rewarding as any rescue.

He is clear about how volunteering has shaped him: “It all changed my life completely. It gave me opportunities that I would never have had. It gave me life skills that I would never have gained. And those life skills have moved me into the career that I’m in, have made me the person that I am, have given me the ability to give back to the community, and have given me the ability to change people’s lives.”

For anyone considering joining the NSRI, Paul offers straightforward advice: “The NSRI made me what I am, and the people I’ve met helped get me to where I am. Whatever you’re prepared to put in, you can get out.”

Through the highs and lows, Paul Bevis embodies the spirit of Sea Rescue – courage, commitment, and the quiet satisfaction of changing lives, one call at a time.