Report theft of NSRI pink rescue buoys urgently
The NSRI’s pink rescue buoys are public rescue equipment deployed at selected beaches, rivers and dams and have been used to help rescue 177 people that the NSRI knows of.
This is according to Andrew Ingram, an NSRI spokesperson.
In a media release, he noted that since the project started in late 2017, more than 1 800 of these bright pink emergency flotation devices had been sponsored by individuals and companies and placed strategically on the coastline and at some inland rivers and dams. They are designed to provide emergency flotation for those in difficulty in the water and floatation for a rescuer who goes in to help - despite being warned of the danger of doing this.
Ingram said: "We are constantly identifying additional sites where they can be placed in cooperation with municipal authorities."
Volunteers in communities look after the buoys and make sure they are always ready to be used.
"We appeal to the public to assist in identifying any faults or missing buoys," Ingram said.
"Unfortunately, a few buoys have been stolen over the holiday season. Theft of a pink buoy may cost someone's life."
Ingram asked: "If you see a pole that is a missing a pink buoy, call the cellphone number on the pole to let us know, so that we can replace it."
If you see someone with a buoy and they do not have NSRI identification, it has probably been stolen from a pole. Ask the person who has it to return it to the pole that they removed it from or to call the NSRI (087 094 9774) so that it can recover the buoy and return it to the pole.