Teamwork in action

In a world where drowning remains a serious threat, the efforts of the NSRI and its dedicated volunteers stand as a beacon of hope.

One shining example is Nkazimulo "Nkazi" Nyawose, a Drowning Prevention Instructor at the NSRI's Survival Swimming Centre 3 (SSC3) in Port Shepstone. Not only does he teach lifesaving skills to children, but Nkazi also volunteers at NSRI Station 20 in Shelly Beach – a role that allows him to make a significant difference in his community.

When asked about balancing his dual responsibilities, Nkazi's response was simple yet inspiring: "The balance is quite simple because as an instructor, I work on weekdays, and I'm off on weekends. That gives me the opportunity to attend duty weekends without any conflict. Besides that, it really doesn't need any balancing – the fact that we are all under one organisation, sharing one mission, makes it very easy."

This shared mission is particularly evident when NSRI volunteers rallied together to maintain the SSC3 facility. Being a portable structure at a local high school, the centre occasionally faces challenges from the environment and students. "Being in a container and at a high school with bigger kids, things tend to break more often and need constant maintenance," Nkazi explained. He shared a recent story of how the changing room partition walls inside the container had collapsed, making it difficult for both instructors and learners. Fortunately, his colleagues from NSRI Station 20 stepped in to help.

Gary Wolmarans, the Station Commander at Shelly Beach, recounts how his team responded: "We attended to re-fabrication of the change room in the container, cleaning the pool itself, and attending to leaks on the pump to conserve water. Our volunteers, like Nkazi, work hard, and we support them by ensuring these facilities remain operational."

Nkazi's role in drowning prevention is not just a job – it's a calling. "I love helping people, and being a lifeguard for many years, I developed a passion for helping in drownings. I always noticed that many of my people do not know how to swim and are always at risk. When I saw an advert for a water safety instructor, I thought it was an answer to prayer." Working at SSC3 has allowed him to directly impact the lives of children, teaching them how to swim and, more importantly, how to survive in the water.

Gary highlights the broader importance of initiatives like SSC3: "With drowning prevention and the fact that children are being trained to survive in unpredictable situations, it buys us time and even allows the casualty to self-rescue. This increases the odds of survival and ultimately saves lives."

The care that the NSRI Shelly Beach volunteers show for the Survival Swimming Centre in their area demonstrates the power of collaboration in saving lives. Volunteers like Nkazi give their time and effort to ensure children in at-risk areas are equipped with the skills they need to stay safe in the water. At the same time, his colleagues from the rescue bases provide essential support.

Together, they embody NSRI's mission to not only save lives but to change lives – creating a future where drowning becomes a rare event, not a common tragedy.