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The NSRI Agulhas team recently took a break from the serious job of saving lives to celebrate their successes and honour the members for their dedication and have fun.
“We wanted to honour, inspire, recognise and poke a bit of fun at our excellent volunteers,” said Reinard Geldenhuys, station commander of NSRI Station 30 Agulhas.
Some of the members honoured for their hard work include Shaun Nortje, who received the Crewman of the Year Award, Pieter Rossouw the Coxswain of the Year award and Janlu Nieuwoudt the Trainee of the Year trophy.
George de Kock, a member of the shore crew, received the Lighthouse award for going the extra mile always to ensure the sea crew is safe.
To add to the merriment of the event, there were fun awards such as The Bow Stuffer, awarded to the crew member or trainee who suffers from “foot-in-mouth disease” and the Dory/Vaakvissie award for the person who “sometimes needs a helping hand to snap from daydreaming.”
The star of the evening was a young girl identified only as Nina. Although Janlu Nieuwoudt was supposed to receive the Spirit of the Year award, the team unanimously decided to “crook” and bestow this award on their young supporter.
Nortje also received the “Full Throttle” award, given to the crew member or trainee who needs to be “reigned in” at times. Liza Struwig received the “Bow Stuffer” trophy.
Struwig had the following to say about her award: “I always speak my mind, sometimes too quickly and without thinking. But I can at least say I am proud of it. I’d like to believe that everyone at the station can safely say ‘what you see is what you get with Liza.’ I am unapologetically myself . . .”
Special tribute was also paid to Reinhard Geldenhuys, station commander, and Jaco Louw, training officer and deputy station commander.
“Without these two individuals none of what we do would be possible,” Struwig stated. “With the training, guidance and example they set we have been moulded into the rescue team we are today.”
