Rena and Roxy Du Toit: The sisters-in-law serving NSRI Station 51 - IOL

Sisters-in-law Rena and Roxy Du Toit, Class 5 Coxswains for the NSRI, smiling in their safety helmets on the water.

Between training and emergency call-outs, NSRI volunteers and sisters-in-law Rena and Roxy Du Toit help children learn vital water-safety and drowning-prevention skills.

Their work at NSRI Station 51, on the shores of Gariep Dam on the border between the Free State and Eastern Cape provinces, reflects a shared commitment to saving lives and supporting their community.

Rena grew up at Gariep Dam and spent much of her childhood in and around the water.

When she returned home in March 2022 and heard that an NSRI station was being built and volunteering felt like the natural next step.

Roxy was drawn to the organisation’s lifesaving work, but soon found that volunteering involved far more than just responding to emergencies.

Both have completed the training needed to qualify as Class 5 Coxswains, enabling them to take command of the rescue vessels used on inland waters rescue operations.

For Roxy, the qualification represents more than a professional milestone. “Becoming a coxswain has been less about achieving a qualification and more about earning the trust that comes with it,” she says.

Rena says that working alongside Roxy, who understands her strengths and weaknesses, has given her more meaning and hope as Roxy is not just her sister-in-law, but also her "best friend" according to Rena.

NSRI Station 51 volunteers Rena and Roxy Du Toit delivering a water safety and drowning prevention presentation to a group of children seated in a NSRI class.

Beyond their rescue duties, Rena and Roxy have up to today used their skills to help teach hundreds of children about water safety and drowning prevention.

For Rena, one of the most rewarding parts of the work is seeing children become more confident in and around water.

She remembers a young girl, Poppy, who initially found survival-swimming lessons difficult. Poppy was cold, uncomfortable and frightened of the water.

When she returned for holiday swimming sessions under Rena's instruction, Rena saw how with "each visit, she became more comfortable in the water, and eventually she was putting her head underwater and kicking happily away."

Poppy months later still asks when swimming class would start again. 

NSRI Station 51 volunteers Rena and Roxy Du Toit smiling in their Sea Rescue uniforms while proudly displaying their wooden finisher medals from the B-well Around the Pot 25-Miler event.

The women’s work reflects the wider role volunteers can play in the communities they serve: teaching children, demonstrating lifesaving skills and encouraging families to talk about water safety.

For Roxy, helping children develop water-safety awareness is as important as responding when emergencies arise. She says even a quick lesson can have an effect beyond the classroom.

“A 45-minute presentation can become a conversation around a family dinner table, and that conversation can influence how an entire family behaves around water,” she says.

Roxy believes that people who are prepared to give their time and learn can contribute meaningfully to their communities.

For Rena, the motivation is straightforward: “If you have the ability, time and training to help someone, why wouldn’t you?”

Together, the sisters-in-law show that saving lives is not limited to emergency rescues. By helping children and families understand water-safety risks, they aim to prevent incidents before they happen.

As Roxy puts it, “the greatest rescue is the one that never has to happen.”