Cape Town teenager awarded Mountbatten Medal for heroic sea rescue

A Cape Town teenager has received the Royal Lifesaving Society’s highest honour for bravery, the Mountbatten Medal, for his rescue in March last year near Whalebone Pier, in uMhlanga Rocks in Durban.

Fish Hoek Surf Lifesaving Club’s Braedon Powell, 15, is South Africa's youngest recipient of the Royal Lifesaving Society’s highest honour according to a statement from Lifesaving South Africa (LSA).

The 15-year-old was with his parents in Durban for the LSA DHL National Championships when the drama unfolded.

“Mid-afternoon, the Fish Hoek junior saw an adult man lose his footing and get pulled out to sea in the cyclonic surf conditions, which had resulted in beaches being closed. The man was quickly pulled towards the backline after a big set.

“Braedon grabbed a nearby NSRI (National Sea Rescue Institute) pink torpedo buoy and jumped over the railings and swam out to the man despite the treacherous conditions.

“He managed to secure and pull the large victim close to shore, where five by-standers hauled the patient up the steep beach. Braedon was pulled back out to sea again 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”, read his award-winning citation.

LSA said Braedon is the fifth and youngest South African lifesaver to win the Mountbatten Medal in the past seven years, highlighting the high standards of lifesaving within the country's volunteer lifesaving movement, headed up by Lifesaving South Africa.

Convener of LSA’s Bravery Awards committee, Stanford Slabbert, has confirmed 19 rescue heroes for the past year (July 2024 to June 2025) after 14 dramatic rescues were adjudicated.

Other rescue efforts that have been commended include a father and daughter duo who effected a daring rescue together, off the Big Bay coastline, and three SA lifesavers who saved lives in other parts of the world, notably Bali and Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Separately, the Fish Hoek Surf Lifesaving Club in April cemented its place as the top surf lifesaving club in South Africa, returning from the 2025 DHL Lifesaving South Africa National Championships in Gqeberha with three major national titles.

The championships, held from April 26 to May 3, saw Fish Hoek dominate across all age groups — winning the Nipper, Youth and Open, and Masters Surf categories.

The club accumulated nearly 2 500 points across all events, leaving competitors far behind.

Fish Hoek’s triple victory is also a boost for Western Cape sport, according to Craig van Rooyen, director of Sport at LSA.

“This kind of performance reflects the strength of our local surf lifesaving scene,” he said.

“Fish Hoek’s dominance comes from years of structured development, coaching excellence and community engagement.”

Club chairperson, Tommy Veldhuis, called the victory “a proud moment” for both the club and the province.

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Cape Argus