Photographer Martin Ras captured a rare glimpse of a police diver’s compassion and bravery, and the NSRI’s life-saving work.
Garden Route, South Africa (25 March 2026) – Mossel Bay photographer Martin Ras is rarely without his camera. He’s captured life, in all forms, as it unfolds along the Garden Route.
Last year in April, he happened to be on the scene when a local fisherman, Frans Quagga Smit, and his friend had been fishing along the rocks at The Point in Mossel Bay. The two had cast their lines and had been there for less than half an hour before it happened.
A massive wave had swept Frans right off the rocks and into the water.
Pulled beneath the surface for what must have felt like a lifetime, Frans finally came up gasping for air with his head just above water. But the current was strong and unrelenting, and no matter how hard he fought, it refused to give him back to shore. His friend couldn’t reach him, and after about 15 minutes battling water that had no intention of letting go, Frans knew he wasn’t getting back to safety on his own.
Thankfully, The Point was busy that day. Beachgoers had spotted the commotion and alerted the NSRI.
As rescue teams made their way there, a police diver, Andries Louw, dove straight in and heroically zipped through the water toward Frans. He reached him in just moments, wielding a pink rescue buoy that would help the fisherman stay afloat until he could be brought to safety.
The NSRI Station 15 team arrived shortly after, and the two were lifted from the water and brought safely back to shore.
Martin caught the entire thing on camera, capturing a rare glimpse of the police diver’s compassion and bravery, and the NSRI’s life-saving work that unfolds every day along our coastline. This week, he shared it online:
“For me, having a camera in hand during real-life moments like a sea rescue brings a mix of adrenaline, responsibility, and respect. You feel the urgency in the air, but at the same time, you understand your role , to document what’s happening as truthfully as possible. My camera is always with me because moments like these are real, raw, and important to capture.” Martin tells us.
By documenting and sharing these moments, he helps the world see, appreciate and support the work of the people who show up when it matters most – in this case, a brave police diver and the NSRI.
“I’ve had people ask why I recorded instead of helping, and my answer is simple: I’m a photographer, not a trained lifeguard or NSRI rescuer. In situations like that, the professionals are there to do the saving. My role is to tell the story, to show what unfolds, and to preserve a moment that many would never otherwise see.” he says.
Martin has been capturing life in Mossel Bay and further along the Garden Route for just about five years now. His passion for photography started long before.
“I started my career in the corporate world, working on the Sishen mine in the Northern Cape, where I travelled frequently between Johannesburg and the mine. It was during those trips that my passion for photography and video truly started to grow.” he says.
He and his family made the move to the coast just before lockdown. When Mossel Bay Tourism purchased one of his photographs, doors opened.
“Everything changed when Mossel Bay Tourism purchased one of my photos, which was later used on billboards across South Africa. Seeing my work out there made me realise that photography was more than just a hobby ,it was my calling. From that moment, I committed full-time to photography.”
Today Martin runs workshops teaching people how to capture great images on both smartphones and cameras, has built a membership community to help others grow, and sells fine art wildlife prints. Follow his work, or find out more, here.
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