LSA Bravery Awards for
2023/2024
BA3 - Certificate of Commendation x 1.
Mid-afternoon, the Fish Hoek junior lifesaver was near Whalebone Pier, Umhlanga, with his parents, when he 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 pink RTB, jumped over the railings and swam out after him in the treacherous conditions. He managed to secure & pull the large victim close to shore, where 5 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.
BA2 - Letters of Commendation x 5
Ian Barnard (18) – Wednesday, 22nd November, 2023:
Mid-afternoon at Herolds Bay beach, the off-duty lifesaver and Hartenbos SLC member grabbed a pink rescue buoy and swam out to two victims, a father and his daughter, caught in a strong rip in the rough sea near the rocks. After securing the two patients and battling to escape the rip, two surfers arrived to assist in getting the victims ashore. Both victims, Ntakadzeni (36) and Ditebogo (11) Tharage were hospitalised, but recovered from their ordeal, thanks to Ian’s brave efforts.
Ian Barnard (18) – Wednesday, 22nd November, 2023:
The two brothers noticed a man caught in a strong rip current at Glenmore Beach. Each grabbed a Pink Rescue Buoy and swam out to the man. They used the buoys as flotation to keep the man afloat and struggled to get him ashore. A former lifeguard arrived to assist. Battling in the strong backwash, bystanders formed a human chain to eventually get the patient ashore.
Djebbe Hiscock (22) & Enzo Alfonso (23) – Tuesday, 14th May, 2024:
Notified at 19h30 of two fishermen missing off Kids Island, Big Bay, the two Big Bay lifesavers found one lifeless body in the shallows and did CPR for an hour, before medics declared the person deceased. The two then joined the search for the other missing person, swimming around the island in the dark in the big surf. The search was called off at midnight, after Djebbe (left) & Enzo (right) had spent hours in the freezing water, searching for the missing victim.
Charl Jones (25) – Saturday, 2nd December, 2023:
Whilst at a function at the Milnerton SLC, at 18h35, Charl noticed that a young girl (14), had been caught in a strong rip current and was being swept out to sea. He immediately swam out after her, with a RTB. He reached her beyond the backline, about 100m out. He could not make headway in the strong currents and big surf. A surfer assisted and Charl loaded the patient and headed shore-wards. Ariel Mausenbaum arrived on a rescue board and they transferred the patient and he took her to shore while Charl swam back
LSA Drowning Prevention Awards for
2023/2024
DP 2 – Letters of Commendation x 3:
Naor Lombard (19), Zack Waters (18) & Djebbe Hiscock (22) – Sunday, 12th May, 2024:
Midday, after a training session at Big Bay, the three off-duty lifesavers were alerted to an unconscious surfer, floating in the 2.5m swells near the backline. Using a malibu board, they responded and retrieved the patient. Back on the beach they started CPR, continuing for over 50 minutes until paramedics declared the person deceased.
DP1 - Letters of Appreciation x 17:
Ms Anina Nortier-Bali (41), Idi Teubes (30) & Theuns Viljoen – 16th June, 2023:
The Olifants River, near Vredendal, burst its banks on Friday, 16th June. Local farmer, Idi Teubes, assisted by Theuns Viljoen & Rescue Technician, Anina Nortier-Balie, used a rubber duck to rescue many farm labourers from their flooded homes. Others also joined in to assist the local community as rising flood waters engulfed the area.
Ms Chantell Shaw (45) – Saturday, 9th September, 2023:
Alerted by shouting family members, Marine LC master, Chantell Shaw, responded, along with a local bodyboarder, and swam out to rescue a drowning man in the rough surf. She secured the panic-stricken man and used the bodyboard as flotation to get washed back to the beach, where lifeguards administered oxygen to the man, who survived, thanks to Chantell’s immediate rescue action.
Patrick Loram (18) – Wednesday, 27th September, 2023:
The Clifton lifesaver was surfing at Melkbosstrand Beach at 19h00 when he noticed 5 female teenage SUP paddlers in distress, caught in a rip after being blown off their boards. Using his surf board, he rescued 3 of them. A NSRI rescue swimmer arrived and assisted the other 2 girls to safety.
Patrick Loram (18) – Wednesday, 27th September, 2023:
The Clifton lifesaver was surfing at Melkbosstrand Beach at 19h00 when he noticed 5 female teenage SUP paddlers in distress, caught in a rip after being blown off their boards. Using his surf board, he rescued 3 of them. A NSRI rescue swimmer arrived and assisted the other 2 girls to safety.
Pierre vd Merwe (30), Jody Africa (31) & Jaco Kruger (36) – Saturday, 7th October, 2023:
The three Bluewater Bay Surf Lifesavers were on duty at Cradock weir during day two of the annual Fish River Canoe marathon when two paddlers, Candice Murray & Steph vd Heyde, capsized and were caught in the grip of the backwash of the weir. The lifesavers rescue tower collapsed, creating an emergency situation, but they still effected a successful double rescue in the dangerous washing machine below the weir. Jaco slid down the weir to free those caught in the turbulent wash.
Wayne Kerr (40) – Saturday, 11th November, 2023:
Mid-morning, the Umhlanga Rocks member saw a 4-year-old get swept off the beach and into a rip current alongside Grannie’s Pool, at Umhlanga beach. He immediately ran and swam out 100m in the rough sea to rescue the boy, who was about to disappear under water. Waynes quick reaction prevented a possible drowning.
Ariel Mausenbaum (24) & Luca Zumpt (19) – Saturday, 2nd December, 2023:
During an early evening function at the Milnerton Lifesaving clubhouse, Charl Jones had swam out to rescue a drowning girl who had been caught in a strong rip current. After securing the patient, he could not make headway in the strong currents and big surf. Ariel arrived on a rescue board and they transferred the patient and he took her to shore while Charl swam back. During this time, Luca, pictured right, rescued Lyle, who had attempted to assist in the rescue, but had lost his board in the large surf and was himself caught in a rip current.
Brandon Ribbink – Sunday, 28th January, 2024:
The Big Bay master was competing in the afternoon Board race during the WP Lifesaving Championships at Milnerton Beach, when he realised that a fellow competitor had been badly injured in the impact zone of the large 2.5m surf. It was too dangerous for the IRB to reach them, so David aborted his race, loaded the patient onto his board, and got him safely ashore.
Linda Hlophe (44) – Sunday, 5th May, 2024:
The Kwadukuza pro-lifeguard had stayed on after duty ended, as there were bathers in the water at Clarke Bay beach, Ballito. It was low tide and about 17h30 when he was alerted to a swimmer in distress. He grabbed a malibu board and set off into the dark, rescuing two men and two women who had been caught in a backwash and were calling for help. He remained calm and got them all to safety, thus preventing four possible drownings.
Robert Shaff (33) – Saturday, 1st June, 2024:
The Llandudno lifesaver was about to go for a surf in the rough conditions at Llandudno Beach at midday, when he noticed two bathers get swept off a sandbank and into a strong rip current. He reacted immediately and effected a double rescue, using his surfboard, returning both to the safety of the beach.
LSA Recognition Awards for
2023/2024
Andrea Parrello (16) – Friday, 22nd December, 2023:
Whilst at the family holiday home in Hermanus, the Clifton Junior lifesaver was alerted to adults screaming for assistance in the street. An infant was in distress after a near-drowning. Andrea immediately assessed the patient and administered CPR before the infant resumed breathing. The parents then rushed it to hospital. The infant survived, thanks to the immediate CPR efforts of the young lifesaver.
Alex Neusch (35), Darren Willars (61), Liam Gerber (20) – Sunday, 24th March, 2024:
At 13h00 during their Big Bay SLC duty, the three squad members responded to an emergency call from a nearby restaurant, where a patron had stabbed himself in an apparent suicide attempt. They rushed to assist, controlled the excessive bleeding and evacuated the restaurant. They continued efforts to calm the hysterical patient, who continued trying to injure himself, until medics arrived. Alex is pictured left.
Leya Moser (18) – Tuesday, 2nd April, 2024:
The Clifton junior lifesaver was at King Shaka Airport, near Durban, when she was alerted to a non-responsive elderly man who lying on the ground having convulsions and bleeding from the mouth. Leya took charge of the medical emergency, placed him in the recovery position and stabilised him until medics arrived. Her quick response kept the man alive.
International Awards
South African lifesavers have won the RLSS Mountbatten Medal four times in the past 6 years:
2018 – Matthew Maroun
2019 – Clifford Coombe
2021 – Dax Lamb
2022 – Prince Michael of Kent Award for Bravery – Edward Gutsche
Only one Mountbatten Medal is awarded per year. However, in special circumstances, the RLSS awards the PMK medal to recognise extraordinary acts of bravery. They duly recognised Edward Gutsche’s family rescue of Saturday, 1st October, 2022, when Ed (46) rescued four Majeke family members swept away by a strong rip. After securing all four, they were 200m offshore. He used the bodyboard leash to tow them ashore in a 30-minute struggle
2023 – Lee Maree
Lee Maree (41) rescued a drowning student off Olso Beach, KZN South Coast, on Saturday, 11th February. Lee effected the rescue without any buoyancy aids or equipment during his 600m swim in turbulent surf.
LSA Special Award
2022 Golden Globe Sailing rescue on the high seas
Kirsten Neuschafer
Port Elizabeth’s international sailor, Kirsten Neuschafer, rescued a fellow competitor, Tapio Lehtinen, on Friday, 18th November, 2022, after his yacht sank about 450 nautical miles SE of PE during the 2022 Golden Globe Race. Kirsten, the only female competitor, went on to win the gruelling solo GGR, finishing on 27 April, 2023.
Tapio noted “After my accident, floating in the life raft 480 nm SE of Port Elizabeth, I was delighted to get a satellite text message from the race director Don McIntyre informing me that he had directed Kirsten for my rescue. Early next morning I could spot her in the horizon and one hour later I was in the cockpit of “Minnehaha” having a glass of rum with her after a perfectly executed rescue operation. An hour later Kirsten communicated with the captain of Darya Gayatri and skilfully and safely manouvered Minnehaha in the lee of the cargo ship, so that I could be to it’s side in my life-raft. Waving goodbye and Godspeed from the deck of Darya Gayatri to Minnehaha regaining her course was an emotional moment for me”.
For her magnificent rescue effort on the high seas, Kirsten was awarded a special LSA plaque, with the inscription “For unhesitatingly going to the assistance of Tapio Lehtinen in distress during the Golden Globe Race 2022 and assisting him to safety. Kirstens actions are in keeping with the high ideals of rescue and service, which Lifesaving SA endeavours to promote and practice”.