The river was rising, rescue crews had been out all night, and Mr and Mrs Hercelman’s own home was under threat. Still, they made time to cook and feed the heroes.
Kouga, Eastern Cape (12 May 2026) – It has been an extraordinary and exhausting week for the communities along the Gamtoos River. When a Category 8 orange weather warning swept across the Eastern Cape last Friday, 8 May, it prompted one of the biggest rescue operations the region has seen in recent memory.
In the middle of the night, NSRI stations from Gqeberha, Jeffreys Bay, St Francis Bay and Oyster Bay were all activated after reports came in of multiple people and animals trapped by rapidly rising floodwaters at Kingsway Resort on the Gamtoos River, near Jeffreys Bay.
The South African Police Services, EMS, Kouga Municipality, Kouga Fire and Rescue Services, Police divers, a K9 unit, a Police Air Wing helicopter, and a small army of local good samaritans all gathered to help save lives.
The Kouga Dam had reportedly risen from around 40 percent to an estimated 132 percent capacity in just 12 hours, and roadways were fully submerged. Rescue crews in wetsuits had to wade and swim kilometres just to reach affected areas. By the time the operation wound down, 49 people, with the oldest aged 80, the youngest just 5, along with dogs, cats, parrots, and livestock, had been brought to safety. At least 15 more refused to leave.
It was a massive, heroic effort. Right in the middle of all of it, the most incredible act of selflessness bowled over rescue crews.
“Last night, in the middle of the emergency evacuations along the Gamtoos River, we witnessed an incredible act of selflessness,” Station 37 NSRI Jeffreys Bay shared. “Despite their own home being under direct threat from the rising floodwaters, Mr. and Mrs. Hercelman took the time to prepare and deliver a large container of soup and bread to our crew working on the banks.”
Their own home was at risk. The same floodwaters that the NSRI crews were battling through the night were creeping toward the Hercelmans’ front door. And instead of focusing entirely on what they could lose, they turned their attention to the people out there trying to save others.
They made soup, packed bread, and showed up with love and compassion.
Rescue workers, many of whom are volunteers, spend hours in the cold and the dark, in dangerous conditions, to save others. A hot meal is not a small thing in those moments. It brings warmth, energy, and reminds our local heroes that there is gratitude for what they do.
“In a situation where most would understandably be focused entirely on their own safety and property, the Hercelmans chose to look after others. It is this exact spirit — neighbours helping neighbours — that defines the Kouga community and keeps everyone going during these difficult times,” NSRI Station 37 said.
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These are the stories we love reporting on. Acts of care that hold people together when everything feels impossible. A teacher guiding a birth over the phone, or a couple stirring a pot of soup while the river rises outside their own windows. None of these people had to do what they did.
“Our thoughts are with the Hercelman family and everyone else currently affected by the flooding. Thank you for your kindness when it was needed most.” — NSRI Station 37, Jeffreys Bay.
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