A 15-year-old lifesaver from Fish Hoek has made history by becoming South Africa’s youngest recipient of the Royal Lifesaving Society’s highest honour – the prestigious Mountbatten Medal for exceptional bravery.
Braedon Powell of Fish Hoek Surf Lifesaving Club was awarded the RLSS’s top international award for his heroic rescue on 27 March 2024, when he risked his life to save a drowning man in treacherous cyclonic conditions at Whalebone Pier, Umhlanga Rocks, KwaZulu-Natal.
The drama unfolded mid-afternoon while Powell was in Durban with his parents for the Lifesaving South Africa (LSA) DHL National Championships. Beaches had been closed due to dangerous surf conditions when the young lifesaver witnessed an adult man lose his footing and get pulled out to sea.
“The man was quickly pulled towards the backline after a big set,” read Powell’s award citation. “Braedon grabbed a nearby NSRI pink torpedo buoy, jumped over the railings and swam out after him in the treacherous conditions.”
Despite the dangerous circumstances, Powell managed to secure the large man and pull him close to shore, where five bystanders hauled the victim up the steep beach. The rescue came at a personal cost – Powell was pulled back out to sea and had to fight hard to reach safety, injuring himself as he clambered over the rocks.
“Thanks to Braedon’s immediate action and bravery, the man survived the ordeal,” the citation concluded.
Part of a proud South African tradition
Powell becomes the fifth South African lifesaver to win the Mountbatten Medal in just seven years, highlighting the exceptional standards within the country’s volunteer lifesaving movement. Previous South African winners include Lee Maree (2023), Dax Lamb (2021), Clifford Coombe (2019), and Matthew Maroun (2018).
South Africa’s Edward Gutsche was also awarded the Prince Michael of Kent Award for Bravery in 2022 as runner-up to the Mountbatten winner, after rescuing three members of the Majeke family off Port Alfred’s Kellys Beach.
Record year for South African lifesaving heroes
This year also marks an exceptional period for South African lifesaving, with Lifesaving South Africa recognising 19 rescue heroes following 14 dramatic rescues between July 2024 and June 2025. The recipients, 15 men and four women, range from 10-year-old Kings Beach LSC nipper Jaed Beaton to 48-year-old Nicola De Jager of Big Bay LSC.
Stanford Slabbert, convenor of LSA’s Bravery Awards committee, confirmed that seven Bravery Awards and 12 Drowning Prevention awards were presented at the LSA Awards in Durban this week.
Among this year’s most remarkable rescues are two recipients of the LSA Certificate of Commendation for the most dangerous and brave rescues:
Nicola De Jager (48) braved treacherous conditions at Blouberg nr Cape Town on28 September 2024, when she was the only rescuer willing to enter the water. The Big Bay SLC member swam 500m through big shore-breaks to rescue two distressed men, navigating turbulent swells to bring them safely ashore.
Warren Talbot (43) demonstrated exceptional courage at Kabeljous River mouth lagoon near Jeffrey’s Bay on 26 December 2024, rescuing two victims caught in a treacerous rip current during a family outing.
In a first for LSA, father and daughter duo Douglas (46) and Lily (18) Day received Letter of Commendation awards for their joint rescue effort on New Year’s Day 2025. The Big Bay SLC members stripped to their underwear and swam 500m through big surf to reach a distressed victim, marking LSA’s first father-daughter rescue combination.
The youngest award recipient, 10-year-old Jaed Beaton, displayed remarkable composure when she rescued a toddler caught in a rip current at Keurbooms River mouth near Plettenburg Bay on New Year’s Day. The Kings Beach nipper calmly instructed the child to float while keeping him afloat until adult help arrived.
South Africans saving lives abroad
Three South African lifesavers have been recognised for their life-saving actions beyond the country’s borders, demonstrating that SA’s lifesaving expertise extends globally.
Ryan Chandler (23) from Milnerton Surf Lifesaving Club and Durbanite Dean Morris (34) were relaxing at the Bab Al Qasr hotel pool in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on 10 October, when a 4-year-old girl was pulled lifeless from the water. Their immediate CPR intervention saved the child’s life, and she made a full recovery after being rushed to hospital.
Former Clifton Lifesaving Club member Matisse Vermeiren (20) was surfing at a Bali beach on 7 July 2024, when he spotted a tourist struggling in a strong rip current after cliff jumping. Despite big waves, Vermeiren immediately paddled over, pulled him onto his surfboard, and brought him safely to shore.
Slabbert said that the recognition of these heroes underscores South Africa’s continued excellence in volunteer lifesaving services, with ordinary citizens repeatedly demonstrating extraordinary courage to protect lives in dangerous aquatic environments.
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