The need for Water Safety Education is obvious if we consider the drowning statistics in our country. Rural underserved communities in particular are vulnerable to drownings in farm dams, rivers and streams. Without formal swimming skills people too often find themselves in trouble.
The NSRI’s programme presents an effective Water Safety curriculum to create awareness about the dangers of water, what to do if someone gets into trouble, how to help a friend in need, how to perform bystander CPR and who to call for help.
Today the NSRI has 21 full-time instructors who visit schools and clubs around the country and teach people about water-safety issues – using colourful teaching materials and a mannequin to demonstrate bystander CPR. The lessons are designed to fit into a normal school schedule, are presented in a fun and interactive way, are age-appropriate and delivered in the mother tongue of the learners.
Since the programme started in 2006 we have taught over 3 million people. In 2017 the NSRI’s Water Safety Education programme received international recognition as the proud runner up for an Outstanding Team Contribution in the International Maritime Rescue Federation awards.
It costs R15 per child for a Water Safety lesson. Please help.
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.
To date, over 3 million people, predominantly primary-school learners, have been taught water safety skills.
“Learning Water Safety and peer-rescue skills such as CPR and basic rescue techniques from a young age can help save a life! Always remember, drowning is silent.”
A shared belief in the power of water – and the importance of helping people enjoy it safely – is bringing the NSRI and The Little Optimist Trust together.Recently, members of the NSRI’s Community Programmes team spent two days at ...
When an emergency unfolds at sea, effective coordination can mean the difference between life and death. It's a skill the NSRI knows well, and one that three of its experienced rescuers recently had the opportunity to share beyond South Africa's shores.
From its humble beginnings in 2006 to a nationwide drowning-prevention effort, the NSRI’s Water Safety Education programme celebrates two decades of teaching skills that save lives.
The Australian Government is helping the NSRI equip children across Gauteng, the Free State, Mpumalanga and Limpopo with essential water safety knowledge and practical survival swimming skills, as part of a shared commitment to preventing drowning and building a water-safe South Africa.
Every year on 25 July, World Drowning Prevention Day draws global attention to a simple but powerful message: drowning is preventable.
When floodwaters rise, rescuers face an environment that can change in seconds. Water moves with relentless force, familiar landscapes disappear beneath it, and hazards are often hidden below the surface.
