In the early hours of 1st June 1773, Vonk and his owner rescued 14 sailors from turbulent and dangerous seas when a ship was wrecked on a sandbar at the Salt River mouth in Table Bay, South Africa.  Braving ferocious conditions, Wolraad Woltemade repeatedly urged Vonk into the icy waters dragging to shore two sailors at a time holding onto the horse's tail.  Exhausted and overcome by panicked sailors on their eighth rescue attempt, both Wolraad and Vonk were dragged under the water and drowned.