A win for Mossel Bay lifeguards and the NSRI

Lifeguards are a crucial component of water safety, especially during the festive season.

However, it is essential to understand that lifeguards are not just a few fit youngsters sitting on a beach waiting for someone to get into trouble and then simply go rescue them.

This is according to Brett Ayres, executive director of Rescue Services at the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), who further states that there is a lot more that goes into running a lifeguarding service than one thinks.

Now, with the recent success of securing the tender for the festive season on Mossel Bay's beaches, the NSRI is poised to expand its presence even further, reaching out into the local community, collaborating with, and procuring the wellexperienced and trained local lifeguards who have steadfastly served Mossel Bay.

In a strategic move towards fostering water safety and preventing drownings, the NSRI is transitioning from a reactive to a proactive approach. Renowned for its emergency response initiatives, NSRI has held a significant footprint in Mossel Bay for over 50 years.

This victory not only reaffirms the NSRI's commitment to proactive water safety but also celebrates the continuation of a legacy that has spanned five decades. The NSRI is seeking to procure and is actively and directly calling on local lifeguards to come forward so that together, under the banner of NSRI Lifeguarding, we can ensure a wealth of experience and create a formidable force dedicated to safeguarding Mossel Bay's beachgoers. The success of the NSRI getting the tender opens new doors for young and aspiring lifeguards, as well as individuals with a passion for building a career in water safety and drowning prevention.

The NSRI’s lifeguard units are equipped with fins, wetsuits, Malibu boards and torpedo buoys to help them get out on the water and effectively perform a rescue quickly, but once the casualty is out of the water, they also have the appropriate first aid equipment, oxygen, and an automated external defibrillator (AED) to save lives. NSRI lifeguards are backed up by a radio and cellphone network and are supported by base stations, beach safety cameras and a national Emergency Operations Centre that can activate a network of higher care in any emergency.