Good Things · 10 hours ago

Kouga Couple Fed Nsri Flood Rescue Crew While Their Own Home Was at Risk

As catastrophic floods threatened their own home along the Gamtoos River, Mr. and Mrs. Hercelman spent the night preparing soup and bread for exhausted rescue crews who had been wading through rising waters to save dozens of trapped residents. While 49 people and countless animals were evacuated in a massive overnight operation-and their own property stood in the path of floodwaters that had swelled the Kouga Dam to 132 percent capacity-the couple chose to turn outward rather than inward. "In a situation where most would understandably be focused entirely on their own safety and property, the Hercelmans chose to look after others," NSRI Station 37 noted. The hot meal delivered to cold, soaked volunteers in the darkness became its own kind of rescue-a reminder that caring for those who care for us is sometimes the most essential work of all.