GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The world's first international Drowning Prevention Day was marked by the NSRI on Sunday, 25 July.
"We are delighted to join the world today in recognising drowning for the issue that it is. In South Africa, 1 500 people drown every year. 450 of those are children under the age of 14," said Jill Fortuin, NSRI Director of Drowning Prevention.
On 28 April 2021 the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on drowning prevention that will see 25 July observed as World Drowning Prevention Day in order to promote water-safety awareness and encourage national action.
Following the World Health Organisation's 2017 Report on Preventing Drowning, the NSRI launched their Pink Rescue Buoy campaign.
READ MORE: First World Drowning Prevention Day declared: 25 July
To date the NSRI's public rescue devices have been used to rescue 75 people with no harm to a rescuer and all rescues that were attempted were successful.
Currently there are over 1000 Pink Rescue Buoys deployed around South Africa.
Think pink
The pink buoys are part of a lifesaving water safety initiative by the NSRI. "The Rescue Buoys are bright pink so that they can be easily spotted on the water by responding emergency services. There is also a unique location number on the signpost so that crucial minutes can be saved for emergency services to help those in danger of drowning," says Fortuin. "Please remember that a stolen buoy could be a stolen life."
The NSRI is urging community members to become pink lifesavers, by reporting any missing pink rescue buoys to their Emergency Operations Centre on 021 434 4011. Your report could save a life.
Find the pink rescue buoy, throw it into the water, help the person to float and save a life. You'll find the buoys at beaches along the coast, inland dams and rivers right across South Africa. Fortuin also urged water users to immediately call the emergency numbers on the Pink Rescue Buoy sign, or 112 from their cell phone for help if someone is in danger of drowning.
Anyone can save a life
You can save lives too by sponsoring a Pink Rescue Buoy for a community in need at a cost of R1 500 per buoy, or by supporting the NSRI's drowning prevention initiatives.
If you would like to volunteer and assist the NSRI in protecting and maintaining the buoys, contact pinkrescuebuoys@searescue.org.za.
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