PINK buoys are placed strategically on signs at selected inland rivers, dams and at beaches, to act as a reminder to take care if there are no lifeguards on duty, and that in the event of someone getting into difficulty in the water, they can be used as emergency flotation until help arrives.
The NSRI’s Pink Rescue Buoy initiative has been a ground-breaking innovation for Drowning Prevention, winning the IMRF (International Maritime Rescue Federation) Award for Innovation and Technology in 2018.
Each Pink Rescue Buoy is housed on a sturdy pole with signage showing how it should be used, as well as the NSRI’s emergency number and the buoy’s unique identification number, which helps rescue services to identify the location of the emergency.
ID numbers and NSRI’s contact telephone numbers are also embossed on the buoys themselves so they can easily be returned to their posts after use, or if they are lost or stolen. The distinctive pink colouring of the rescue buoy is designed to stand out in water and provide emergency flotation.
“In South Africa, 1 500 people drown every year, 450 of those are children under the age of 14,” said Jill Fortuin, NSRI Director of Drowning Prevention.
To date the NSRI’s public rescue devices have been used to rescue 75 people with no harm to a rescuer and all rescues that were attempted were successful. Currently there are over 1 000 Pink Rescue Buoys deployed around South Africa.
“If you ever see someone in danger of drowning, think: ‘pink is for buoys’. Find the pink rescue buoy, throw it into the water, help the person to float, save a life. You’ll find our buoys at beaches along the coast, inland dams, and rivers right across South Africa. But please remember that a stolen buoy could be a stolen life,” said Fortuin.
- You can save lives too by sponsoring a Pink Rescue Buoy for a community in need at a cost of R1 500 per buoy, or by supporting the NSRI’s drowning prevention initiatives.
You can see the various way to donate here: www.nsri.org.za/donate
