MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Kelly Fourie-Barnard, a volunteer crew member of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Station 15, Mossel Bay, interviews JC Roos, the station commander.
Tell us more about yourself.
I grew up in the Eastern Transvaal as a typical farm boy. I completed my basic military training with the SA Navy, after which I moved from Cape Town to Mossel Bay in 2006.
I am married and have two awesome daughters. My wife and one of my daughters are also volunteers at NSRI Mossel Bay.
What is your occupation and how do you spend your free time?
I work in the oil and gas industry. I have held various managerial positions with international companies, but my qualification and specialisation are in occupational health and safety.
The past eight years I have mainly operated in high-risk areas. Currently, I am based in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
My free time is a fine balance between family, Sea Rescue, motorcycling and hunting - at times difficult to manage.
Tell us about your career with Sea Rescue?
Like all our volunteers I started off as a trainee crew member and progressed through the ranks of crew, coxswain class 3, training officer, deputy station commander and coxswain class 1.
When and how did you join the NSRI?
I joined Station 15 in February 2008. We were living in Little Brak River at the time and I had to call the NSRI about a drifting flashing light I spotted one night.
Not knowing what it was, the NSRI went to investigate. I was told the next day it was a buoy that broke loose. Oom Daaf (Dawie Zwiegelaar), who was the statcom at the time, invited me to visit the station at the next meeting.
When I arriving, the crew were busy with capsize drills in the harbour in front of the station.
After a brief introduction, the late Oom John Deacon, who was deputy station commander at the time, instructed me to join in.
I was reluctant, but Oom John did not take no for an answer, I got into a wetsuit and joined as instructed.
After this experience, the ice was broken and I felt most welcome.
Learning that all the crew were volunteers, drew me to volunteer myself. After my great first experience at the station I wanted more; the seed was planted.
Sea Rescue volunteers are servants. We like to serve and give back to our communities.
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