British High Commission sponsors NSRI beach safety signage for the Garden Route.

The British High Commission has sponsored three location-specific NSRI rip current signs and 22 emergency beach safety signs, which will be erected at beach entrances between Herolds Bay and Sedgefield.

The three signs, which are at Herold's Bay, Victoria Bay and Leentjiesklip at Wilderness, two blue flag and one pilot blue flag beach, are purpose-designed to reflect the actual geography of the area and orientate the public as to the location of predominant rip currents and hazards.

“This is the first time that we have designed and made signage that is location specific,” said Mike Vonk, NSRI Wilderness Station Commander.

“We are most grateful to the British High Commission for their generous sponsorship, which made this possible. We believe these signs will help visitors to these three beaches understand where it is safe to swim and where the rips are.”

“All three beaches have lifeguards on duty, and we strongly advise people to only enter the water here during lifeguard duty times and to swim between the red and yellow lifeguard flags,” said Mike.

As well as a graphic illustration of the beach and rip currents, the signage advises beach visitors to swim between the lifeguard flags and gives the NSRI Emergency numbers 082 990 5955 and 087 094 9774.

It also offers this advice on how to escape a rip current:

• Rip currents are powerful currents of water moving away from the shore

• Don’t panic, and don’t fight the current

• Get out of the rip by swimming parallel to the beach

• Use the waves to help you get back to the beach

• Never swim into a rip to help somebody

• Throw them something that floats instead

• Use arm signals to show them to swim to the side

• Call the NSRI for help

"We are delighted to be supporting this very important campaign. Knowing the dangers of rip currents and how to escape from them is vital for anyone who decides to enter the ocean," said British High Commissioner Antony Phillipson.