As with many NSRI bases, Station 12 was founded by members of the community who banded together to find a boat, a launch site, and establish a sea rescue presence, however small. From humble beginnings in 1968 – three crew housed in a shack close to Thesen Island – the base has enjoyed steady growth, which includes moving to its premises at the Knysna Heads.
In the early 2000s, Station 12 rescues consisted mainly of capsized commercial fishing vessels in the Knysna Heads, but with the reduction in commercial fishing licenses, their rescues now consist of vessel assistance (towing) out at sea or drowning incidents within the Knysna Estuary. Station 12 was also very involved in rescue efforts during the devastating Knysna Fires of 2017, as well as the "Kiani Satu" vessel running aground off Goukamma Nature Reserve.
“What we have at Station 12 now is a family of volunteers, made up of 23 sea-going crew and three shore controllers, who are on duty 24/7,” says station commander Jerome Simonis. “Our crew are highly skilled. More than 60% of the crew have been here for nine or more years. In fact, a couple of years ago, I added up the collective experience, and it amounted to more than 350 years.”
Volunteers meet every Wednesday for training, which consists mainly of simulated real-life rescues, medical refresher courses, chart work and navigation. Once the training work is done, the crew will braai and socialise for a couple of hours. This time is invaluable for crew, not only for the opportunity to bond and get to know each other, but also because this is when crew share stories, knowledge and skills in a more informal setting.
Volunteer At This Station
As colder weather creeps in, NSRI stations across the country are shifting their focus to the unique challenges winter brings.
We are thrilled to announce that Italtile Ceramics (Pty) Ltd, along with the Italtile and Ceramic Foundation, has become the first corporate partner to secure its name on the side of the Spirit of Ubuntu – the final Offshore Rescue Craft (ORC) in the National Sea Rescue Institute’s fleet renewal programme and one of the most significant projects in our organisation’s history.
At 11h17, Thursday, 1 January, NSRI Knysna duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from NSRI Knysna lifeguards at Leisure Isle, Knysna, reporting CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) efforts in progress on an adult male that the NSRI Knysna lifeguards had rescued from the water.
Jerome Simonis, NSRI Knysna station commander, said: At 13h15, Saturday, 6 December, NSRI Knysna duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of a drowning in progress at Brenton on Sea Main Beach, Knysna.
Jerome Simonis, NSRI Knysna station commander, said: At 12h18, Friday, 5 December, NSRI Knysna duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Buffalo Bay Main Beach.
Jerome Simonis, NSRI Knysna station commander, said: At 12h47, Wednesday, 26 November, NSRI Knysna duty crew and NSRI lifeguards were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Main Beach, Buffalo Bay, Knysna.
Thoughts and care are with a local Knysna man and his family while he recovers in hospital following a para-kiting accident at Buffalo Bay Main Beach.
KNYSNA: Jerome Simonis, NSRI Knysna station commander, said:
NSRI, lifeguards, Police and the emergency services have attended to multiple rescue operations over the past weeks, including sadly an increase in drowning accidents around the coastline and on inland waters.
NSRI, in cooperation with Police, maritime authorities, DRM (Disaster Risk Management) and the emergency services are appealing to boaters, sailors, paddlers, bathers, anglers and coastal hikers to be aware of a SAWS (South African Weather Services) warning - alerting to rough sea conditions and big waves along the West Coast coastline, Western Cape Coast coastline, South Cape Coast coastline and potentially extending beyond - for the next few days.
Jerome Simonis, NSRI Knysna station commander, said: At 07h43, Thursday, 2 May, NSRI Knysna duty crew were activated following reports from eyewitnesses, a foreign couple on holiday in Knysna, of a body in the water near to Belvedere on Knysna Lagoon.
NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were placed on alert following confirmation that NSRI coast watchers, from Natures Valley, were responding to assist a German couple, and their toddler, in a gorge on the Kalander kloof Trail, near to Natures Valley.
SOUTHERN CAPE: Thembalethu, Victoria Bay, Sedgefield, Hansmoeskraal, Buffalo Bay, Mossel Bay. NSRI, Police the emergency services and Municipal authorities are appealing to the South African public and tourists visiting our country to have extreme safety in mind in and around coastal and inland waters.
The British High Commission has sponsored three location-specific NSRI rip current signs and 22 emergency beach safety signs, which will be erected at beach entrances between Herolds Bay and Sedgefield.
NSRI Knysna STATION 12 duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Noetzie Beach, near to Knysna
Jerome Simonis, NSRI Knysna station commander, said: In an ongoing search operation on Thursday, 31 August, SA Police Services (SAPS) and the SAPS Water Policing and Dive Services (SAPS WPDS) continued to search for a missing man at Ashmead Channel ...
At 15h56, Saturday, 10 June, NSRI Knysna received a call from a resident of Knoetzie reporting that she had been notified by a car attendant and that he had been notified by an unidentified fisherman, of a local angler who was lying injured somewhere in that vicinity and that the injured angler urgently required an ambulance.
DURBAN Jonathan Kellerman, NSRI Durban station commander, said: A ship medical evacuation and a medical emergency on a beach. At 08h00, Sunday 16 April, NSRI Durban duty crew gathered at NSRI Durban rescue station in response to an earlier request ...