DAN Divers Day in Durban

Jacqui McAllister from NSRI Station 5 Durban was invited by DAN (Divers Alert Network) to give an hour talk on NSRI’s corporate profile, our volunteer work and boating safety at sea. Quite a bit of time was spent talking about NSRI’s search and rescue procedures for lost and missing divers as well as past rescue experiences. Jacqui explained the background work that happens with SASAR, the police and the procedure involved when mobilizing helicopters.Key points discussed where the following:

• Early notification to NSRI of a lost diver is KEY
• Don’t hesitate to call us immediately
• We would rather be stood down, than lose an opportunity to find a lost diver

Helicopter assistance:

• Needs to be sanctioned by SASAR (South African Search and Rescue have their own call out procedures; therefore it takes at least an hour to action a helicopter)

Visibility:

• Pencil Flares
• Signalling mirror
• Orange inflatable buoys per diver (should be compulsory) Imagine if 4 divers were lost, and they all had their buoys inflated= VISIBLE
• Some bright colour on your head (keep a bright hat in a pocket somewhere)
• A whistle

It went really well, and the group (about 55 people) were interested, had lots of questions and where very interactive. Jacqui waiting for the group to settle The group having a quick break