From Station Kid to Regional Operations Manager: Danie Verwey's NSRI Journey

When Danie Verwey officially joined NSRI Station 15 Mossel Bay as a volunteer in August 2015, he had already spent years at the station.

As a 12-year-old, Danie was introduced to NSRI by a family friend and Class 1 Coxswain, Arno Cloete, who believed that young people should be exposed to something bigger than themselves.

Danie and his friends quickly became familiar faces at the station, helping with maintenance, cleaning rescue craft after training sessions and absorbing everything they could about sea rescue.

“We were absolutely hooked from day one,” he recalls.

By the time he turned 16 and was old enough to become an official volunteer, joining felt inevitable.

Finding Purpose at Sea

Growing up in a coastal town, the ocean was always a central part of Danie’s life. But it was the sense of purpose he found through NSRI that kept him coming back.

“There is a sense of belonging at a rescue station that is hard to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it. You are part of something that genuinely matters, and that does something to you.”

Over the years, he discovered that the friendships formed through rescue work are unlike any others.

“When you have to trust the person next to you with your life, and they trust you with theirs, it creates a connection that goes well beyond ordinary friendship,” he says.

Of course, there is also the reward of knowing that the work makes a real difference.

“The feeling of actually pulling someone from the water and knowing that they are going home to their family because of what your team did in that moment is indescribable.”

Learning Every Step of the Way

After joining the NSRI team, Danie progressed steadily through the ranks, qualifying as a crew member before earning his Coxswain certifications, serving on the Mossel Bay station management committee, and eventually becoming Deputy Station Commander.

Today, he serves as an NSRI Regional Operations Manager, a role he believes was shaped by every position that came before it.

“The experience I gained at every level, from being a crew member taking instructions to being the one giving them, is something no classroom or course can replicate.”

Looking back, he says he is grateful for every opportunity, including the difficult ones.

Rescue Beyond the Coast

One of Danie’s most memorable recent deployments came during the severe flooding that affected parts of the Western Cape.

As part of the Volunteer Support Centre operations team, he was deployed alongside volunteers and rescue partners to assist with flood evacuations in Wolseley and Gouda.

Among the many rescues carried out during the operation, one remains particularly vivid.

“With fading light and time running short, our team had to split up to cover more ground,” he says.

Danie and fellow rescuer Rian Basson were tasked with locating a family that had not yet been reached. They eventually found a mother, father and two young daughters, including a one-year-old child, stranded in difficult conditions.

“Getting them out was no straightforward task. The terrain was brutal, mud underfoot, hidden holes, fast-flowing water to cross, and the light fading fast.”

Thankfully, the family was safely evacuated to the incident command post.

More Than Rescue

Away from the water, Danie is a qualified commercial pilot and instructor, and a drone instructor, an interest sparked during a rescue operation in 2017 when he worked alongside a helicopter crew evacuating an injured fisherman from rocks near Vleesbaai.

“That was it for me. Right there I knew I wanted to fly.”

Today, he sees strong parallels between aviation and rescue operations.

“At the heart of both is decision-making. Anyone can be taught to handle an aircraft or helm a rescue craft. What separates a good pilot or Coxswain from a great one is judgment under pressure.”

Danie adds: “There is a saying among pilots that every take-off is optional, but landing is mandatory. At NSRI, we live by the same principle. The decision to launch is never taken lightly, but once your crew is on the water, bringing them home safely is the only outcome that matters.”

A Life-Changing Experience

After more than a decade with NSRI, Danie says the greatest reward has not been a specific rescue or qualification, but the people.

“Ordinary people doing extraordinary things, voluntarily, with no expectation of reward. ”

The volunteers he has served alongside have left a lasting impact on the person he has become.

“The way I think, the way I approach challenges, the way I carry myself day to day, all of that has been influenced by the people I have had the privilege of learning from within this organisation,” he adds.

And for anyone considering volunteering?

His advice is simple: “Just do it. If you are sitting on the fence, stop deliberating and go introduce yourself at your nearest station. It is a life-changing experience, full stop.”