Another two lives saved by local NSRI volunteers
Last year they conducted 852 operations - saving over 1 300 lives
THE Richards Bay NSRI was called to assist a yacht in distress at the Port entrance shortly after 5am this morning.
It was reported that two experienced seamen on their 29-foot vessel ‘Wild Oats’ were sailing from Mozambique to Richards Bay, when strong cross winds made their port entry here dangerous.
‘The winds threatened to push them across the harbour entrance, and they opted to standy-by one nautical mile off-shore and wait for assistance,’ said Sea Rescue Commincations’ Craig Lambinon.
NSRI Richards Bay duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) following a request for assistance
The sea rescue craft ‘Spirit of Round Table II’ was launched and took the yacht under tow into the Port where they were then able to use their own yacht motor to continue to their own moorings at the Zululand Yacht Club.
No further assistance was required.
About the NSRI
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is run by over 1 000 highly skilled, unpaid volunteers who are on standby day and night throughout the year.
Donations and sponsorships cover their annual running cost of R73.4m, while volunteers save them a salary bill in excess of R250m per annum.
They have 31 bases around the coast, of which one is at Richards Bay.
The NSRI enjoys a good working relationship with other emergency services and they believe that it is through team effort that lives are saved.
The NSRI education arm, called WaterWise Academy, teaches children what to do in an emergency and gives them the confidence to initiate basic bystander CPR while they wait for the ambulance to arrive.
The WaterWise Academy targets disadvantaged youth, because statistically they are the most at risk (South African Medical Research Council, 2006).
Their rescue crew, technical experts, auditors and Board of Directors are all unpaid volunteers.
In 2016 the NSRI raised R131m at a cost of 30%. 70% of Revenue is deployed to fund humanitarian rescue (852 operations, 1 306 lives) and drowning prevention (323 130 children taught) operations.
To assist them in their work, you can use the following bank details, National Sea Rescue Institute / ABSA, Heerengracht / Branch code: 506 009 / Account number: 1382480607 / Swift codeABSA-ZA-JJ.
Waterwise
According to the Medical Research Council, those most at risk of drowning are children from poor communities.
The highest incidence of drowning is in fresh water, farm dams swimming pools and rivers.
