Placed strategically on signs at selected inland rivers, dams and at beaches, these bright pink buoys act as a reminder to take care if there are no lifeguards on duty, and that in the event of someone getting into difficulty in the water, they can be used as emergency flotation until help arrives. Their bright pink colour allows them to be easily seen.
Each Pink Rescue Buoy is housed on a sturdy pole with signage showing how they should be used, as well as the NSRI’s emergency number and the buoy’s unique identification number, which helps rescue services to identify the location of the emergency. ID numbers and NSRI's contact telephone numbers are also embossed on the buoys themselves so they can easily be returned to their posts after usage, or if they are lost or stolen.
Watch the video below of how good samaritans battle the elements in race against time to save 2 fishermen with the help of a Pink Rescue Buoy.
A Pink Rescue Buoy costs R1 850 at our Online Store.
The NSRI has three core Drowning Prevention programmes – Water Safety Education, Pink Rescue Buoys and Survival Swimming – and offers a range of free resources and educational materials.
Become a Pink Rescue Buoy Custodian
Since the project started in November 2017, over 1 500 Pink Rescue Buoys have been installed around South Africa and more than 135 lives have been saved through their use. This would not have been possible without the generous support of donors and sponsors, and buy-in from city councils, municipalities and communities around the country. We urge everyone to please take care of them, and report stolen buoys to us by calling 087 094 9774, or filling out the form below.
“Untrained people are going to the aid of someone who is in danger of drowning despite being advised not to. Our Pink Rescue Buoys use simple graphics to explain that it is safer to throw the float to someone and call the emergency number on the sign for help. But if someone does go into the water despite being advised not to, they have a very good chance of survival if they take flotation with them. In the rescues that we have recorded no rescuer was injured and all rescues were successful”
Unexpected situations at the beach can turn deadly within moments, especially when it comes to rip currents.
In response to the tragic drowning of Pierre Lotter, Willem Pretorius, and their three Dachshund dogs at Kids Rock, the NSRI has installed two Pink Rescue Buoys at Kleinbaai, Bloubergstrand.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has installed two Pink Rescue Buoys off Kleinbaai in response to the tragic drowning incident that occurred on Tuesday, the 14th of May, at Kids Rock.
The NSRI’s Pink Rescue Buoys are public rescue equipment deployed at selected beaches, rivers and dams around South Africa and have been used to help rescue 177 people that we know of.
When Willemien Fourie and her family stopped at Kabeljous Beach in the Eastern Cape for a stroll, they could not have imagined the ordeal that was about to unfold – a near-fatal encounter with a treacherous rip current. Thanks to the swift response of four Good Samaritans and the NSRI’s Pink Rescue Buoys on hand, however, they survived.
The NSRI’s highly successful Pink Rescue Buoy programme is in need of custodians to help maintain these life-saving rescue devices. Could you be the next custodian in your area?
