Pink Rescue Buoy Donation: Glenwood House School

National Sea Rescue Institute would like to thank Glenwood House School MySchool supporters for their generous donation of 5 Pink Rescue Buoys. According to the school’s MySchool Coordinator, Helen Marais, of the total funds generated by parents who have nominated Glenwood House School as their beneficiary on the MySchool loyalty programme, 30% is donated quarterly back into the community to local charities and non-profit organisations, such as the NSRI.The NSRI Pink Rescue Buoys are stationed at beaches, rivers and dams across South Africa with the aim of providing emergency flotation at as many places that people swim as possible. There are currently 275 Pink Rescue Buoys which are in use or soon to be, around the country. Between Mossel Bay and Knysna, with the help of sponsors, Sea Rescue have placed 40 Pink Buoys at places where people may need help. The Pink Buoys donated by Glenwood House have been erected at Herolds Bay (x2), Gwaing River Mouth, Wilderness and Swartvlei Beaches.Nationally, the Pink Rescue Buoys have been used in 10 successful rescues, saving 12 lives, 4 of which were children. Wilderness has been the source of 4 of these rescues, saving 5 lives, including the very first Pink Rescue Buoy rescue of a teenager in front of the Wilderness Hotel.In situations where every minute counts, the Pink Buoys should be used to provide emergency flotation until emergency services arrive. The board that the Pink Buoys hang on displays the local emergency numbers, and provides a location number, that callers can use to tell Sea Rescue exactly where the Pink Buoy is that has been used saving crucial minutes for responding rescuers. Graphics also advise someone who wants to help to throw the buoy to the person in difficulty as it is very dangerous for someone who is not trained in rescue to enter the water to try and help. Throw the flotation and call for help!This quote posted by James Wood on the 4^th of June 2018 on his Facebook page reinforces that providing emergency flotation to someone in difficulty in the water can save a life;'Yesterday afternoon we had a successful rescue of a person caught in the rip current at Cape Vidal Bay. The victim was a vising professor for the USA on a study tour in SA. One of his students, along with another lady on the beach, saw him in difficulty and swam out with the 'PINK RESCUE BUOY' and managed to provide assistance until further help could arrive... It shows the advantages of having these buoys available.'The flotation buoys are bright pink so that they can be easily spotted on the water by responding emergency services. They are also unique to NSRI, and therefore, whenever you see a Pink Rescue Buoy off its board (other than when it is being used in a rescue) please reach out and return it to the closest NSRI station. The success of this project ultimately depends on you and your community! If the community stands behind this project lives will be saved, and the Pink Buoys will not be removed from the signs except for a rescue.As the Western Cape drought has shown, when people work together, we can make big changes. With the community’s involvement, every Pink Rescue Buoy will remain on its board. This statement has been proven by the Pink Buoys which have been returned to their stations within days of the community getting involved with the project. As our Pink Rescue Buoy says – ‘Please return me so that we can save another life’.For more information please call Sea Rescue’s Drowning Prevention Coordinator Kelly Cowell on 021 434 4011 or email kelly@searescue.org.za.Additionally, have a look at the Sea Rescue online shop for more information: https://shop.searescue.org.za/