Port Alfred’s Ed Gutsche and João Felizardo have been honoured by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) for their remarkable sea rescue efforts. Gutsche was awarded a Bravery Gold award for his heroic actions when he saved four lives at Port Alfred’s Kelly Beach and Felizardo received a Gallantry Bronze award for his brave actions when saving the life of a man who was swept off Port Alfred’s West Pier. Both incidents occurred last year. Keryn van der Walt was recognised for a remarkable 30 years as an NSRI volunteer. The prestigious national awards were presented at the NSRI’s 56th Annual Awards Evening and AGM at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town on Friday July 21. The awards celebrate the organisation’s dedicated volunteers and other individuals who risk their lives to save the lives of others on South African waters.
Gutsche’s award was for rescuing a father and his three children from the surf at Kelly’s Beach in Port Alfred on October 1, 2022. He was heading for his car after a morning’s bodyboarding when a woman ran up to him, pleading for help for her family. Her husband and three of their children were in the midbreak.
In an extraordinary mission that is described here, he successfully brought them all towards the shore, where he was supported by Nick Laws, who had brought the beach’s Pink Rescue Buoy, and swam alongside them for the final few metres to safety.
Felizardo saved the life of a man who had been swept off West Pier in Port Alfred. The incident occurred on August 12, 2022 as high waves washed over the pier. A patron at Guido’s Restaurant on West Beach alerted the NSRI and the restaurant manager threw him the Pink Rescue Boy stationed on nearby West Beach. The man grabbed the buoy but nevertheless went underwater.
Felizardo, an NSRI trainee rescue swimmer was off duty but on site and, stripping down to his underwear, jumped in and pulled the man to the surface. By that time, the NSRI rescue craft and crew had reached the river mouth and then took over with emergency medical treatment.
Read the NSRI citation here.
Gutsche and Felizardo were among eight awardees nationally presented with gold, silver or bronze awards in the categories Bravery or Gallantry. Other awards were made for service and for improved performance of NSRI stations.
Port Alfred NSRI Station 11 base commander Chris Pike accepted a long service award on behalf of Keryn van der Walt, who has been a volunteer for 30 years.
The NSRI said during the period January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022, the NSRI conducted 1,196 rescue operations,. They rescued 1,091 people and 64 animals. In addition, 628,351 children were educated in water safety, and 13,695 Survival Swimming lessons were presented.
The organisation’s annual report provides an overview of their extent of their activities over the past year. Access it here.
For more information about the NSRI and how to support them, visit their website nsri.org.za
