Cape Town - The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) this week celebrated over 100 lives that have been saved from drowning through their innovative Pink Rescue Buoy floating devices.
The NSRI’s Executive Director, Dr Jill Fortuin, says that at least 102 lives have been rescued using this innovative floating device. She says that this number excludes incidents where the device was used successfully without the NSRI’s knowledge.
“The success of this initiative is overwhelming evidence that supports the World Health Organization’s 2017 report on preventing drowning – an implementation guide. The WHO stated in this report that all citizens should be taught safe peer rescue techniques (such as throwing or using a floatation device) and should be taught how to do CPR, which is what the NSRI has been doing since our water safety education programme started in 2006,” she says.
Fortuin says that all rescue attempts with the buoy have been successful with no harm towards any of the rescuers. She also adds that the buoys have been used when people are caught in RIP currents.
Drowning Prevention Manager, Andrew Ingram, details the time that this life-saving device was used only 12 hours after its installation at Glencairn Beach in Simon’s Town.
“It was early on a hot Saturday morning when Franswa Fernandez and his partner Alicia Adriaanse decided to take a walk before swimming. When they were heading back, Franswa noticed a rip current and how people in the water were still swimming even though it didn’t look safe to him,” he said.
Ingram says that Franswa saw one of the youngsters being pulled out to see in the RIP current. Franswa, a former professional and volunteer lifeguard, then grabbed the bouy and rescue swam the youngster towards the rocks at the side of the beach.
Fortuin has advised those who swim at the beach, dams, and rivers to look out for the NSRI’s Pink Rescue Buoys.
“They are bright pink in colour, allowing them to be easily seen, in the event of someone getting into difficulty in the water, they can be used as emergency flotation until help arrives.
“The Pink Buoys are public rescue equipment and are there to save lives. This is the only reason that they should be removed from their pole. A stolen Buoy could be a stolen life,” said Ingram.
IOL