A proudly South African rescue service: NSRI celebrates a heritage of saving lives

As South Africa marks Heritage Day and joins the international community in observing World Maritime Day on 24 September, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is celebrating nearly 60 years of South Africans working together to save lives on the country’s coastal and inland waters.

From its beginnings in 1967, the NSRI has grown into a proudly South African rescue organisation supported by generations of volunteers, donors, partners and communities.

Its story began with tragedy. In 1966, three fishing boats sank during a storm off Stilbaai, claiming 17 lives. The disaster moved Simon’s Town teacher Patti Price to begin an impassioned letter-writing campaign calling for a dedicated sea rescue service in South Africa.

Price had experienced the terror of being in distress at sea herself. As a child, she had been rescued from a wrecked ship in the English Channel by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. She believed South Africa needed a similar service.

Her campaign attracted the support of the Society of Master Mariners of South Africa, which established the South African Inshore Rescue Service in 1967. It was soon renamed the National Sea Rescue Institute.

As the NSRI prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2027, its history remains closely connected to the values commemorated on Heritage Day: courage, service, community and the willingness of ordinary people to act for the good of others.

“Heritage is not only what we inherit from those who came before us. It is also what we choose to carry forward. The NSRI’s story belongs to the thousands of volunteers who have answered calls for help, the donors who have made our work possible and the communities that continue to stand behind us,” NSRI Chief Executive Officer Mike Vonk said.

Today, the NSRI operates across South Africa’s oceans, dams, rivers and other inland waters. In 2025, 1,431 operational volunteers served through 43 active rescue stations across eight provinces. Together, they responded to 1,069 operations and rescued 1,548 people. 

This year, Heritage Day coincides with World Maritime Day, which recognises the importance of the global maritime sector and the people who keep it safe and functioning. The theme for 2026 and 2027, “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence”, reflects the importance of turning maritime standards and commitments into action. The NSRI contributes to this work every day through search and rescue operations and partnerships across South Africa’s maritime sector.

While rescue remains at the heart of the organisation, the NSRI’s work has expanded significantly since 1967. It now includes water safety education, survival swimming, lifeguarding, the Pink Rescue Buoy programme and other drowning-prevention initiatives.

During 2025, the NSRI reached more than 924,000 people through water safety education and survival swimming programmes across all nine provinces. Its lifeguards carried out 531 rescues, and Pink Rescue Buoys have saved more than 260 lives since the campaign started in late 2017.

The NSRI’s evolution reflects a changing South Africa and a growing understanding that saving lives is not only about responding when an emergency occurs. It is also about helping people understand water-related risks, equipping communities with practical skills and making rescue equipment available where it is needed most.

However, one thing has remained unchanged: the NSRI continues to be built on South Africans' commitment.

More than 97% of the organisation’s funding comes from private individuals and companies. Community fundraising, which began with Patti Price’s letters of appeal in 1967, remains central to sustaining its work today.

“For almost 60 years, people from different communities, professions and backgrounds have come together around one shared purpose: saving lives. That spirit of volunteerism and care for one another is an important part of our national heritage,” Mike said.

This Heritage Day, the NSRI is inviting South Africans to help carry this life-saving legacy forward.