Honouring the women of the NSRI: Leaders in rescue operations

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is known for saving countless lives, yet we never get to meet the women who are part of this organsation. 

As we celebrate Women’s Month this August, it only seems fitting to honour the women from the NSRI’s volunteer crew to survival swimming instructors, from support staff to coxswains, who play a vital role in building safer communities along our coastlines and in inland waters.

NSRI CEO, Mike Vonk, said it is vital to pay tribute to the extraordinary South African women who have chosen to serve their communities as volunteers. 

“They give their time freely, often in the most demanding environments, responding with courage and skill, day and night. Currently, 28% of the NSRI volunteers are women, a figure that reflects South Africa’s leadership in promoting gender inclusion within the maritime rescue sector.

"Compared to similar organisations internationally, this level of female participation is significant and positions the NSRI as a leader in efforts to increase and support women in operational rescue roles,” he said. 

Carmen Long, from Hout Bay, a Class 1 Coxswain, said it was never her mission to be the first of women of anything; she just wanted to know whether she could crack the job. 

“I joined [the NSRI] because I wanted to be part of something and I wanted to help. As you do your best, opportunities just present themselves. It is a big responsibility and I take that into consideration with every decision,” Long said. 

Lifeguard Operations Manager, Rebecca Carter-Smith, said being a class 1 coxswain was not an easy feat. 

“A class 1 coxswain is responsible for over 10 people. You’re responsible for the whole operation at hand, and you’re responsible for a R25 million asset,” Carter Smith said. 

She described Long as an inspiration who proves to women that they can do anything they set their minds to. 

Nicky Whitehead, the Station Commander for the NSRI Strandfontein said the position she is currently in never entered her mind when she started out as a trainee. 

“You don’t see yourself with that much responsibility,” she said. 

“The station commander is the elected volunteer leader of the station. It is the most important role you have on a station. It is the person whom everyone looks to for answers,’ Carter-Smith said. 

Operations Director at the NSRI, Brett Ayres, said it recognises that diversity strengthens all its operational teams, from its survival swimming and water safety teams. 

“NSRI women are indeed leaders and role models in society, and contribute to making us stronger and more impactful. We encourage women from all backgrounds to volunteer and find their place in the NSRI. Whether on rescue craft, in swimming pools, in classrooms, or behind the scenes, their impact is significant.” Ayres said. 

Women’s Month commemorates the historic march of more than 20,000 women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on August 9, 1956, protesting against the apartheid government’s extension of pass laws to women.

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