NSRI SETS NEW RECORD

In November 2022, statistics released by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) painted a grim picture of the country's drowning numbers.

The study conducted from 2016 to 2021, found that 1 477 South Africans, mostly young children, drown each year, with this number expected to increase due to the devastating floods in KZN in 2022, which claimed an estimated 435 lives.

“Teaching children how to stay safe around water is critical to reducing the burden of drownings,” said Dr Jill Fortuin, who heads the NSRI’s Drowning Prevention department. “In August this year, we achieved a record number of 120 000 lessons taught across all nine provinces – a huge achievement for our non-profit organisation.”

But the work does not stop there.

Jill explains: “We are well on our way to achieving our target of 750 000 this year and we are gearing up our plans to hit our goal of a million taught in 2024.”

The NSRI has 39 instructors in the drowning prevention team, who raise awareness about the dangers of water, what to do if someone gets into trouble, how to perform bystander CPR and who to call for help. Since the project’s inception in 2006, it has reached more than four million people, instructing on these life-saving skills.

“At a cost of just R10 to teach a child to be water-safe, it is the support and generosity of thousands of individuals and partners who have made this achievement possible and who will continue to help us strive to hit that one million lesson mark in 2024,” concludes Fortuin.