The NSRI Pink buoys are placed across beaches in South Africa as a way to help prevent drowning, they are devices used by the public while waiting for help.
The concept of the pink buoy is for the public to use the buoy while they wait for a lifeguard or the emergency services to arrive on the scene. The buoy was recently nominated for a prestigious sea innovation and technology award.
The NSRI released their pink buoys in 2017 after noticing a similarity the various scenarios where drownings occurred.
‘In a typical scenario Sea Rescue gets an emergency call for a swimmer in difficulty and, when we get there, we find two or more people in danger of drowning.
Tragically, sometimes we are not able to get there in time and someone drowns. Usually the person who does not survive is the kind person who went into the water to try and help a person in difficulty.’
They then developed the buoy as an emergency system, with clear graphics and an emergency number so that members of the community can safely assist a person struggling in the ocean.
‘If there is an incident and someone needs help these buoys can be thrown to that person, providing emergency flotation.
There are clear graphics on the sign which explain how to use the Buoy. And most importantly, the emergency number for the closest Sea Rescue station is printed on the sign.
If anyone decides, against advice, to enter the water the Pink Rescue Buoy provides flotation for that person as well as for the casualty.’
When we reported on their award nomination, the buoy’s had saved a total of 13 lives but as of more recently, it has been aided in saving yet another life, or in this case, two lives! The NSRI Port Edward duty crew received the call at around 12:30 pm on Wednesday the 24th of October.
There was a report of a drowning in progress at Silver Beach, Port Edward. The deployed the sea rescue jet-ski Rescue 32 Bravo and rescue swimmers responded to the scene in by NSRI rescue vehicle. Police Search and Rescue, Med-Evac ambulance services and Paracore Ambulance Trust ambulance also responded.
“We found that a 19-year-old male had been in difficulty in the surf when a bystander, believed to be aged in his 20’s, went into the surf to try to assist but he got into difficulty himself.
“We could see that another bystander, using the NSRI Pink Rescue Floatation Buoy, had gone to the assistance of the 19-year-old and had reached him. They were about 350 meters off-shore in the surf line and they appeared to be heading back towards the shore using the Pink Rescue Buoy for floatation.
“Our sea rescue craft went to the aid of the man in his 20’s, reached him, rescued him and brought him to the beach safely.”
The young man that had grabbed the pink buoy and jumped in to save one of the drowning men made his way up the beach and placed the pink buoy back into its pole. It was then that the NSRI team recognised him as their local car assistant, Amos Dlezi. Amos helps out at the local boat club from time to time. He was commended for his effort in saving the life of the teenager.
These pink buoys are proving to be a brilliant innovation. The life count is now up to 15! Cudos to the NSRI.
“NSRI are urging the public to swim at beaches only where and when lifeguards are on duty and swim within the safe demarcated swimming zones posted by lifeguards using their red and yellow flags.”
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