National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) volunteers from Station 42 Kleinmond rescued 23 stranded farm workers and their families during severe flooding between Worcester and Rawsonville on 12 May.

The rescue operation, which lasted several hours, brought babies, elderly residents and vulnerable individuals to safety as flood waters threatened the community.

Rescue teams navigated dangerous conditions throughout the operation. The incident also resulted in the recovery of three fatalities.

A video has now been released by the NSRI featuring rescuers sharing their first-hand accounts of the challenging operation.

The rescue operation formed part of the context for the NSRI’s “Turn Around, Don’t Drown” flood awareness campaign, which ran around World Drowning Prevention Day on 25 July.

The campaign is aimed to educate South Africans about the dangers of floodwaters and encourage safer decision-making during severe weather events.

As part of the initiative, the NSRI distributed flood safety rulers to selected schools and ran awareness campaigns on social media and TaxiTV platforms.

The campaign concluded with a public activation at the V&A Waterfront, where visitors participated in interactive water safety presentations, watched a live Pink Rescue Buoy demonstration and received hands-on CPR training.

The NSRI continues to respond to flood-related emergencies across South Africa while promoting water safety awareness in communities.

ALSO READ: Death toll after severe weather conditions rises to 10