The new rescue base is raring to go!
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is a charity organisation that saves lives on the South African coastal and inland waters. Their goal is to prevent drowning through rescue operations, education and prevention initiatives.
Operating from base stations along the South African coastline and on inland dams, rescue volunteers are on call, at all hours, every day of the year. Rescues are entirely voluntary and are a testament to the protective culture of the crew towards their community. It’s hearty to note that lending a helping hand in an emergency is free of charge.
NSRI visits schools around the country, educating children about the importance of water safety. Their drowning prevention measures include an online training academy, free courses for crew and the public, emergency signage, Pink Rescue Buoys for emergency flotation, rescue swimmers, lifeguards, and active patrols during peak seasons.
Sponsorships and donations ensure that the organisation can perform at its best to provide the community with an active and efficient response team when needed. Generously accommodated by businesses and the surrounding community, they acquire boats, fuel, an emergency operations centre, rescue stations, and equipment for rescue operations.
The crew use special PPE to ensure their safety and that of the casualties. It’s essential to mention that specialised training courses are vital for crew readiness. When it comes to water safety, they don’t only raise awareness but also provide constructive advice about the topic. The organisation encourages those who support their operations to continue thus preserving a safer future for coastline communities.
The Umhlanga coastline is characterised by long stretches of sandy beaches that are very popular. The space is used by locals and holidaymakers who come down to the coast. In addition to this, there is a large community of paddle skiers and windsurfers that use the area.
According to Jonathan Kellerman, National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Station Commander at Durban (Station 05), they have been looking at ways to extend NSRI’s coverage for this area and improve their response time to call-outs in the area. “Originally, we had to activate our crew from Durban on a call-out to Umhlanga, which would take about 40 minutes to an hour travelling from the harbour and heading up North towards the scene,” he states.
On 10 April 2022, the NSRI successfully opened an auxiliary base close to the ski boat launch at Grannies Pool on the North Coast to counter late response time. In addition to the station’s opening, their JetRIB “The Victor Daitz” was also officially blessed. The blessing of a vessel is the NSRI’s tradition of praying for the crew’s safety and the casualties and is marked as a special occasion. The crew now have assets that will enable them to respond directly at McCausland Crescent, launch the boat from there and be on the scene as soon as possible. As we all know, time is of the essence in a rescue.
“The base location has direct access to the beach, which means we can launch in under 20 minutes. Our Durban base will now be able to service the bigger call-outs such as large tows, assisting with yachts, medical evacuations,” concludes Kellerman. The NSRI was fully welcomed by the lifeguarding community within the area and the Umhlanga Ski boat club.
www.nsri.org.za