LONG-SERVICE AWARDS
50 YEARS
and going strong Pat van Eyssen Pat van Eyssen is still an active crew member at Station 3 (Table Bay). Pat has clocked in excess of 10 000 sea-going hours. What inspired you to join Sea Rescue? I was born in Bloubergstrand and grew up with the beach and sea as my playground. At low tide I would go to the little island with my mother and we would catch crayfish from under the rocks in the rock pools. My father had a little fishing boat and we would launch from the beach and go fishing. When my late brother-in-law, Peter Bestbier, invited me to join Sea Rescue, I didn’t waste any time. That was 4 June 1971; I was 18 years old. A few years later I became a skipper and, now, 50 years later, I am still very much involved.
PAT VAN EYSSEN
At NSRI’s AGM and Annual Awards evening, special honour was given to three NSRI members who have served the organisation for 50 years: Pat van Eyssen, Howard Godfrey and Ian Hamilton. We chatted to them to find out what inspired them to join Sea Rescue and to share memorable moments from their careers. What positions did you hold at Sea Rescue? I held the position of station commander at Station 3 (Table Bay) for many years but realised the importance of encouraging the younger crew to take over the reins. It’s important for me to share my knowledge and encourage our new trainees to learn and get involved as much as possible.
Is there a memorable rescue you can single out? There were many. In the earlier years we had the Chinese fishing trawlers running aground off Woodstock Beach. While waiting for a decision from the authorities, we were told that NRSI was not allowed to go out to the vessel. We had to go privately. Peter and I stripped out of our NSRI uniforms and walked out and boarded the vessel. All were rescued safely. We’ve also spent many hours at sea searching for little fishing boats that became lost in the fog SEA RESCUE SPRING 2021
| 39
