In July 2022, the Port Edward NSRI crew were awarded the Meritorious Service Award for their rescue efforts during the devastating floods in lower South Coast area earlier in the year.

Established in 2004, the Station 32 crew extends its rescue services from South Broom to Waterfall Bluff along the KwaZulu-Natal coast. “We began as a private independent fishing community, which lasted for about a year,” says Station Commander Gert du Plessis, who has been with the station since 2005. “Then we officially became Station 32 on the sixth of November in 2005, when our first NSRI rescue craft arrived. We assist fishing vessels, sailing vessels and swimmers in need along our coast line. Our crew are like a second family. We strive to help people in need, on land and sea. We’ve saved over 20 lives out at sea, and assisted with many more, particularly during the floods in and around Durban.”

For Du Plessis and his crew, the satisfaction of helping a stranger in need, of being able to trust his crew and depend on them, makes the hard work of regular training worthwhile.