Pink Rescue Buoys: bright, bold, and saving lives

There are 1 859 Pink Rescue Buoys (PRBs) along South Africa’s coastlines, dams, and rivers. As of this month, they’ve been used in 221 rescues that the NSRI knows of. That’s 221 lives saved because someone noticed a person in trouble and had a safe, effective tool at hand.

The most recent rescue happened at Jabula Beach, reported by Station 40 Crewman, Jorg Orban. “A strong side wash resulted in a swimmer getting washed northwards and right into a strong rip that had formed, this with an incoming tide,” said Jorg. “According to the swimmer, it happened in a split second and panic set in. Luckily, his wife on the beach noticed this and heard him calling for help, alerting bystanders and the surfer in the water who helped him.”

A Pink Rescue Buoy was used in the response.

This kind of scenario plays out again and again in high-risk areas — many of them previously known for tragic drownings. That’s precisely why the PRBs were created.

“Our PRBs are placed at high-risk locations — anywhere near where drowning or dangerous swimming has occurred,” explains Lezhae Snyders, who manages the Pink Rescue Buoy program. “It might be a beach, riverbank, or dam wall. If the data shows a need, we work to get a buoy installed there.”

Once they’re installed, the real work begins. PRBs need monitoring: someone to check that they haven’t been damaged or stolen, that the harness is still secure, and that the signage is intact and visible. That’s where local volunteers come in.

“Anyone over 16 can sign up as a PRB volunteer,” says Lezhae. “We teach them what to do, provide spare equipment, and record everything on our database. They check on their local PRB weekly or monthly — whatever fits their schedule.”

Volunteers are given training materials (available on YouTube), an NSRI hat, an ID tag, and replacement gear. If a PRB goes missing or gets damaged, volunteers can quickly restore it and alert NSRI. Some even help install new ones and send back the GPS coordinates.

Here are the links to the YouTube instruction videos:

• Installing new PRB
• Sending the W3W location
• Straightening the harness
• Attaching new harness

“The PRBs are unique to the NSRI and recognised in communities,” says Lezhae. “They’re bright pink, easy to spot on the water, and vital when seconds matter. Up to three people can stay afloat using one until help arrives.”

But PRBs do more than float — they build trust. When community members know a PRB is there and maintained by someone local, it adds another layer of safety and shared responsibility.

With the summer season approaching and beachgoers returning in numbers, the NSRI is calling for more volunteers to help monitor PRBs. If you live near water and want to contribute to real, local lifesaving work, consider joining the program.

To sign up, email: pinkrescuebuoy@searescue.org.za.

Every PRB counts. Every volunteer matters. And every rescue reminds us why this program exists.