MOSSEL BAY NEWS - At a celebration of the 50th year anniversary of the NSRI, held at the Dias Museum on Friday, 28 July, the hard work of the pioneers and past crew of this voluntary service was highlighted.
Since the inception of the NSRI in 1966, more than 50 000 lives have been saved by men and women who dedicate their lives to this organisation and have helped to build the proud service it is today.
Mossel Bay station commander Andre Fraser said in his presentation: "We often talk about legacy but I think the NSRI, as it exists today, truly is
a legacy of the passion, enthusiasm and the commitment of people inland and up and down the coast to saving lives.
"I've said it before and repeat it again for emphasis, that the NSRI runs on the passion and energy of its volunteers and the true-life stories they create every day, often in austere conditions."
Ria Schutte read from the book, Into a Raging Sea, about the rescue missions of crews.
The many thousands of supporters, families, donors, emergency service colleagues and communities of South Africans everywhere, were thanked for their support and encouragement which inspire greater and greater achievements by the NSRI.
Local support has contributed towards the certification of a Station Excellence Award that was awarded to Mossel Bay Station 15 by Hennie Niehaus, the NSRI regional director, and presented to the deputies of Station 15, JC Roos and Justin McCarthy.
It was also announced that the Mossel Bay NSRI will host its 50th anniversary celebration during May 2021, when a book, being written about Station 15, will be launched.
The evening ended in an enjoyable social gathering, with excellent food supplied by Café Gannet.
Open Day
On Saturday, the crew opened up the boathouse for the annual open day as an extension of the anniversary celebrations. Mossel Bay residents could visit the station and learn more about the NSRI.
The main purpose of the open day was to recruit new crew members and especially to get the youth of Mossel Bay involved.
Currently, Station 15 has 45 registered crew members, of which 30 are operational. Youngsters from the age of 15 may join the NSRI and can become fully operational crew from the age of 16. It takes about six months of training to become an operational crew member. The day was a huge success and enjoyed by all who attended.
Anybody who would like to get involved in any way can contact André Fraser (082 990 5954).
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