NSRI says no to sky lanterns
NSRI warns the public to not set of sky lanterns as they are easily mistaken as distress flares.
THE National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has appealed to the public to refrain from setting off sky lanterns.
According to a media release issued by the NSRI, sky lanterns floating in the sky can present a similar appearance to distress flares.
The NSRI noted that eyewitnesses mistake sky lanterns for distress flares.
‘Eyewitness reports of distress flares sighted around the coastline require the NSRI and the emergency services to launch a full scale search and rescue operation without hesitation.
Even when the sighting may later be confirmed to have been sky lanterns, a search operation can continue for quite some time until it can be absolutely confirmed that no persons or craft at sea may be in any difficulty,’ said the institute.
The NSRI further emphasized that sky lanterns pose a danger of being a fire hazard and this year that risk is greater because drought conditions have rendered open areas to be dry and more susceptible to fire than normal.
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