By Liezl Maclean

On the evening of 17 June 2008, full-time IT administrator and volunteer rescue swimmer Andre Fletcher saved three crew members during a severe rainstorm off the south coast of Durban. With less than 20 metres of visibility, it was a dramatic rescue that drew national attention and earned him many accolades.

“The rescue was conducted with three separate hoists from a helicopter and called for me to be lowered into a raging sea, swim to the casualty and recover each one separately into the helicopter,” he says slowly. “There was huge physical and mental demand on both myself and the flight crew, where a single mistake by anyone would have resulted in disaster.”

Andre was surprised at being called a hero and still shrugs off the dangers and attention that come with being a rescue swimmer. He recently won the 2008 Centrum Guardian Hero of the Year award, as well as the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Silver Gallantry award for bravery.

Andre speaks with a smile broader than the Sahara Desert. A cool guy with a passion for the South African shores – and for saving lives. “Seeing the look on the faces of the families when we bring their loved ones home is the most rewarding aspect of my job,” he beams.

He volunteers for the NSRI – a non-profit organisation that is geared towards saving lives on South African waters. The NSRI has 29 coastal and three inland stations. It owns a fleet of 72 rescue craft and 21 vehicles, and has access to a range of helicopters. Sea rescue is run by 880 highly-skilled volunteers, who are on standby day and night, throughout the year.

“I am on call 24/7, 365 days a year – ready to go at a moment’s notice,” he says. There is obvious enthusiasm in his voice as he continues: “My job is to rescue people from water or vessels, who are in imminent danger. Rescue swimmers are deployed from land, boats and

Sometimes, there are extended periods of inactivity between actual rescue operations. Therefore, constant training and revision of skills are required. For one thing, rescue swimmers have an interesting job, and equally interesting training camps.

“Training varies between pool and sea sessions, and theoretical and physical evaluations. Flight and boat training is highly structured and well planned in advance to maximise limited time opportunities,” he says matter-of-factly.

In order to become a rescue swimmer, you will have to qualify as a full seagoing member of the NSRI and have the ability to swim unaided for a distance of no less than 200 metres, in both a pool session and at sea.

“You will also require a minimum level three medical qualification,” he says. “Besides that, you need to be able to work in extreme conditions, make quick and decisive decisions, and remain committed to regular training,” the weather-beaten pro insists.

The working conditions range from cold to hot, quiet to noisy, and are always wet and exhausting. “During calls, rescue swimmers are fitted with a full wetsuit, booties, harness, fins, mask, snorkel and a knife. You are required to be dressed like this for hours at a time, getting increasingly hot and uncomfort-able. Then, within minutes, you are submerged in cold and rough seas,” he sighs.

The job is tough. Rescue swimmers are often called out in the middle of the night at the height of a storm, and go into water with massive waves breaking over their heads, to help boaters in trouble.

But for Andre, this is his dream job. “Although it’s dangerous, it’s also exciting and teaches me many life skills,” he smiles.

For volunteering to save the lives of total strangers, Andre has earned many awards. The brave men and women who serve as NSRI rescue swimmers perform courageous, lifesaving feats every day.