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NSRI EMERGENCY
OPERATION CENTRE (EOC)

087 094 9774

NATIONAL SEA RESCUE INSTITUTE (NSRI) MEDIA RELEASE:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saturday, 6 March 2021

NSRI water safety alert

SEA RESCUE – NSRI – STATION 6, Port Elizabeth

NSRI are appealing to the public to have safety top of mind in and around water.

Swim at beaches protected by lifeguards. Only swim in between the lifeguards safe swimming zone that they post on the beach.

Parents must ensure that children have responsible adult supervision around water.

Don’t go too deep into the surf and if you are caught in rip currents don’t panic, simply stay afloat, go with the current, shout for help so that people on the beach can alert the lifeguards or they can call NSRI, at your first opportunity swim parallel to the beach until you are free of the rip current and then use the incoming waves to get back to shore.

An incident in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday, 2nd March, has highlighted the importance of safety around water.

NSRI Port Elizabeth were activated at 13h49 to assist Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) Municipal Lifesaving lifeguards, Coastal Water Rescue, EC Government Health EMS and Police who were responding to Maitlands Beach where two men were swept out to sea.

The lifeguards, assisted by Coastal Water Rescue rescue swimmers, arrived on the scene swiftly and they were able to recover both men from the surf.

CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts were conducted by paramedics on both men but sadly despite the extensive CPR efforts they were both declared deceased.

Boaters, paddlers and sailboarders are urged to download and use the NSRI RSA SafeTrx free cellphone application from our web page at www.nsri.org.za.

Always carry safety equipment, red distress flares, a referee whistle and a torch, wear life-jackets, make sure that your cellphone batteries are fully charged and monitor the VHF marine channel 16 on your boat marine radio.

An incident in Port Elizabeth on Thursday, 4 March, has focused attention on boating safety.

NSRI Port Elizabeth were alerted at 18h30 by the wife of a local fishing boat skipper reporting that he and a crewman were expected back at 15h00 from fishing at Bird Island on their fishing craft and they had failed to return.

She was unable to raise the 2 men on their cellphones and the alarm was raised.

An NSRI Port Elizabeth sea rescue craft was launched to head towards Bird Island while the Transnet National Ports Authority and Maritime Radio Services attempted to raise the men on the emergency maritime radio frequency.Noordhoek Ski-Boat Club and vessels at sea at the time were alerted to keep a look-out.Concerns escalated after no response was received.

While responding to Bird Island the men were found returning to Port Elizabeth from Bird Island and they confirmed that they were simply running late.Their cellphone batteries were exhausted and they had not heard the attempts to raise them on their VHF marine radio.

They were safe and they required no assistance.

NSRI appeal to boaters to stick to a prearranged plan and if you are overdue make every effort to alert maritime rescue authorities.

-ENDS-

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is the charity organisation that saves lives on South African waters – both coastal and inland. Our goal is to prevent drowning through rescue operations, education and prevention initiatives.

Operating from base stations along the SA coastline, and on inland dams, our rescue volunteers are on call, at all hours, every day of the year. Our rescue crew receives no payment and neither do we charge the people we rescue.

We visit schools around the country, teaching children about water safety. Our drowning prevention measures include our online training academy, with free courses for crew and the public, emergency signage, Pink Rescue Buoys for emergency flotation, rescue swimmers, lifeguards, and active patrols during peak seasons.

Our organisation is totally reliant on donations and sponsorships. This enables us to do the work of saving lives, changing lives, and creating futures.

You can do your bit to assist. Please visit www.nsri.org.za for more information.

SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY: 112 or 087 094 9774

Released by:

Craig Lambinon

SEA RESCUE COMMUNICATIONS

Email: communications@searescue.org.za | Cell: +27 (0) 82 380 3800 | www.searescue.org.za

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