About Us

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is run by 980 highly skilled, unpaid volunteers who are on standby day and night throughout the year.

Donations and sponsorships cover our annual running cost of R25m. The volunteers save us a salary bill in excess of R250m per annum.

There are 32 coastal and three inland rescue bases, a fleet of 92 rescue craft, 27 vehicles and we have access to a range of helicopters. We enjoy a good working relationship with other emergency services and we believe that it is through team effort that lives are saved.

The NSRI education arm, called WaterWise, teaches children what to do in an emergency and gives them the confidence to initiate basic bystander CPR while they wait for the ambulance to arrive. WaterWise targets the disadvantaged youth between the ages of nine and 14, because statistically they are the most at risk (South African Medical Research Council, 2006).

Our technical experts, our auditors and our board of Directors are also all unpaid volunteers.

NSRI has an open book policy and our financial statements are available at State Libraries for your convenience.  Articles of Asssociation are available on request.

NPO Reg. No. 002-870
Co. Reg. No. 1967/013618/08
VAT Reg. No. 4920114818

 Our History

The urgent need for a sea rescue organisation in South Africa was highlighted in 1966 when 17 fishermen drowned after their trawler sank near Still Bay due to the lack of a rescue service.  Following this incident, Miss Patti Price (whose own life had been saved by life boat rescue in the British Channel) began a committed letter-writing campaign to motivate the formation of a sea rescue organisation.  Captain Bob Deacon and Mr Ray Lant were the first volunteers to respond to this call. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) was established in 1967 when it acquired its first rescue craft – a 4.7m inflatable boat called Snoopy donated by the Society of Master Mariners.

Head office: 1 Glengariff Road, Three Anchor Bay, Cape Town, South Africa
Postal: PO Box 27700, Rhine Road Post Office, Sea Point, 8050
Tel: +27 21 434 4011     Fax: +27 21 434 1661
Email: info@searescue.org.za
After hours: Craig Lambinon 082 380 3800 or Meriel Bartlett 082 994 7555

Staff:

Ian Wienburg, CEO
Krista Lazarri, PA to CEO
Stephanie Daniels, Reception
Innocent Nsingo, Office Assistant

Finance:
Mark Koning
Anita Conrad

Operations:
Mark Hughes
Captain Gerry Staverees
Patti Jacobs

Marketing:
Meriel Bartlett

Fundraising:
Alison Smith
Bill Wells
Glynis Pulford – Durban
Sue Sperry – PE
Theresa Medicine

Bequest Programme:
Margaret McCulloch - Cape Town
Bruce Sanderson – West Coast
Debbie Olivier – Garden Route
Rhona Manack – Gauteng

Communications and Media:
Andrew Ingram
Craig Lambinon

WaterWise Education:
Eoudia Erasmus – Boland
Charles McHelm – Cape Town
Lwazi Fihlela – KZN
Marcus Oshry – Eastern Cape
Fortune Sibiya – Gauteng