NATIONAL Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) St Francis Bay Station Commander, Sara Smith, recently accepted a donation of five handheld radios from the St Francis Rotarians, made possible through fundraising efforts at the Billy’s Beach Ballies event in January.
Station 21 was founded in 1972 by Leighton Hullet, with the station’s operations primarily focused on medevacs from the chokka (squid fishing) boats that frequently visited the area.
However, the summer holidays brought a different set of challenges with many drowning-in-progress calls, and paddle ski and boat accidents requiring immediate attention and expertise.
“To raise the money to open the station, he (Hullet) held outdoor movie nights at the tennis court where people bought their own snacks and a paint tin to sit on,” said Smith.
Smith, who joined the NSRI in 2009 and became station commander in 2016, said that before joining the NSRI she heard about the organisation, but it never crossed her mind as something she wanted to be involved in.
“Shortly after moving to St Francis Bay, I went to the station with a friend for moral support. I had never been on a boat in the ocean before, and experienced the full spectrum of emotions,” said Smith.
After being station commander for eight years, Smith’s crew ranges widely in age, from 16 to 76, and the station also has a very successful junior academy.
In 2017 the station was awarded Best RIB Station, which she said is a goal they plan to strive for again.
Commenting on the recent donation of handheld radios, Smith said that it was not just a donation, but a “game changer”.
“These radios will revolutionise our communications, enhancing co-ordination between crew, boats, and rescue vehicles. They will prove invaluable in operations involving multiple NSRI resources, significantly improving our response time and effectiveness,” said Smith.
. For more information about the NSRI St Francis Bay station or to donate to the organisation, visit their website at https://www.nsri.org.za/rescue/base/stfrancisbay.
