NSRI to the rescue
If you have ever been caught in a rip current or just got out of your depth in the sea, or been knocked off the rocks by a freak wave, or had your yacht hit a submerged object while at sea, you may know of the NSRI.
However, many folk have only a vague notion of this rescue service….. But that is far from the full story.
On Wednesday November 6, at 10am at the NG Helderberg Church in Firmount Road, Somerset West, Liezl van der Merwe, PR guest speaker for the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), will tell members and visitors of U3A Helderberg about the extensive services of this very worthy organisation.
Established in 1966 as the result of the tragic drowning of a number of fishermen off Still Bay on the southern Cape coast, the NSRI has expanded its activities over the years to include many related services.
Liezl will tell of the drowning prevention programme and innovations like the pink rescue buoys, the survival swimming centres and the education programmes.
She will also share about the beach safety cameras and the emergency operations centre (EOC) as well as the SafeTRX, an app downloaded onto a phone that tracks a person on a vessel to narrow the search field should an emergency occur.
The NSRI is a voluntary, non-profit organisation which aims to save lives by preventing people from drowning.
In November 2023 it had 49 bases comprising coastal stations, inland stations on dams, auxiliary stations and lifeguard units, and crews are on standby at all hours.
Over 1 000 volunteers are equipped with sponsored rescue craft, rescue vehicles, quad bikes and tractors, and are supported by an operations department at the head office.
The NSRI works closely with other search and rescue organisations (22 Squadron SAAF, South African Police Service and South African Maritime Safety Authority) in South Africa.
Its operational statistics for 2023 reveal much: 1 122 callouts, 1 819 people rescued, 97 animals rescued – yes, the NSRI attends to distressed and threatened animals too.
It had lifeguards on 72 beaches, almost 18 000 people (mainly children) received survival swimming lessons, and over 900 000 had water safety lessons.
Liezl, who describes herself as ‘quite shy’, says words flow easily when she speaks about her passions. She has always been a ‘water baby’, swimming competitively and doing her diving Open Water 1 course when she was 12 years old.
She is also passionate about animals and their wellbeing. Her affinity to the NSRI is grounded in her belief in the work that it does, especially the education programmes where she can share information to help people stay safe and appreciate the dangers associated with water.
Rescue stories and the hard work of the volunteers inspire her to be mindful of others and to live an undaunted life with a ‘seize the day’ mentality.
This meeting promises to be enlightening and uplifting as it will focus on the goodwill and sacrifices of noble men and women as told by a lovely young person in service to the broader community.
Entry for members is free; visitors pay R20 at the door. For more information, contact Denise Fourie at 072 211 1173.