Exercise caution while swimming
Parents and caregivers should especially keep a constant eye on children who are swimming
THE National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has appealed to members of the public to exercise caution and common sense when swimming or boating this New Year.
Swimmers, boaters and anglers must take due care around all bodies of water, both inland and coastal.
Appealing to coastal bathers, NSRI national spokesperson, Craig Lambinon, said swimmers must remember to swim only in lifeguard-demarcated areas – between their red and yellow flags – and only when lifeguards are on duty.
‘Swimmers must obey instructions of the lifeguards who are on the beach for your safety,’ he said.
Lambinon said the organisation is also appealing to parents and caregivers, to ensure children are supervised by responsible adults when swimming or near water.
‘That responsible adult must be physically watching the children while they are swimming, looking for any sign of distress and not be distracted while the children are in the water.’
Bathers and those on the beach should also make use of the NSRI’s pink rescue buoys should they notice a swimmer in difficulty.
Placed in strategic places including at Port Durnford and Richards Bay’s Bay Hall area, the buoys are attached to a long rope so they can be thrown to the person in difficulty, as a flotation device.
Once finished with, the buoy is to be returned to its rightful place.
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