NSRI

Sea Rescue is the charity that saves lives on South African waters. Donations and sponsorships cover our annual running cost of R73.4m. NPO Reg. No. 002-870
Co.
(1)

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. The volunteers save us a salary bill in excess of R250m per annum. We have 31 bases around the coast; 4 are on inland dams, a fleet of 96 rescue craft, 38 rescue vehicles, 16 quad bikes and 11 tractors. We also have access to a range of helicopters.

We enjoy a good working relationship with other emergency services and we 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). Our technical experts, our auditors and our board of Directors are also all unpaid volunteers. NSRI has an open book policy and our financial statements are available from the National State Library in Pretoria for your convenience. A copy of our financial statements and/or Articles of Association are available on request. Reg. No. 1967/013618/08
VAT Reg. No. 4920114818
Head Office: 1 Glengariff Road, Three Anchor Bay, Cape Town, South Africa
Postal: PO Box 154, Green Point, 8051
Tel: +27 21 434 4011 (office not emergency)
Fax: +27 21 434 1661
Email: info@searescue.org.za
After hours:
Emergency: Call 112 from your cell phone. or Craig Lambinon 082 380 3800

24/08/2025

🚜 Today’s focus: mastering our vehicles! Our trainee crew members got hands-on training with our Tractor, Mobile, and Quad - sharpening their skills and building confidence for when it counts most. This way, they are always rescue-ready! 💪🌊

23/08/2025

🌊💪 Teamwork in action! Our crew came together this morning to pack sandbags to protect our satellite base in Herolds Bay from the big swells and damaging waves heading our way.

⚠️ A reminder to all small vessels and fishermen in our area: please be alert and take extra caution in these conditions. Safety first! 🚤🛟

20/08/2025

NSRI – Durban – Wednesday, 20 August. Police divers (Police Search and Rescue) are continuing in ongoing efforts in search and recovery operations.
https://www.nsri.org.za/2025/08/search-ongoing-following-light-aircraft-accident-offshore-of-durban-north-beach/

20/08/2025

NSRI Rescue Report | A Week of Life-saving Missions: Every week, our volunteer rescue crews respond to emergencies across the country, from coastlines to inland waters. This is a look at some of the rescues, images, and moments that demonstrate their courage, skill, and dedication to saving lives from the past week.

20/08/2025

R1.1 million raised. 14 charities supported. Countless lives impacted 🌊💙

This year’s Oceans 8 Charity Swim was the biggest yet. Swimmers for the NSRI raised over R251 000. From first-timers to 16-mile legends, every stroke told a story of courage and community.

See you in 2026 👀

19/08/2025

Every second counts at sea ⏱🌊

The NSRI, CSIR, and MarCOSIO are training crews and testing technology to boost search and rescue operations along our coast.

Smarter tools. Faster response.

17/08/2025

This weekend, NSRI station commanders from around the country came together for our annual conference. The theme was risk and reward, sharing real rescues, best practices, new technology, and looking after the well-being of our crews.

To every Station Commander who gave their time and insight: thank you. Your leadership strengthens Sea Rescue and keeps our crews ready to save lives.

As you travel home, we wish you a safe journey. 🚤❤

16/08/2025

On Friday, 15 August, the NSRI hosted its 58th Annual Awards Evening and AGM at Lagoon Beach Hotel in Cape Town. The evening paid tribute to our dedicated volunteers and courageous individuals who risk their lives to save others on South African waters.
See all of the winners: https://www.nsri.org.za/2025/08/awards25/

15/08/2025

Cliff rescues. Ship extractions. High-angle rope work 💪

Each year, NSRI crews train in Maritime Extrication, one of our toughest and most technical rescue skills.

It saves lives.

14/08/2025

Reports indicate that the fisherman had been clinging onto rocks in the water after being swept off rocks by waves while shoreline angling before then reportedly appearing to lose his grip on the rocks he was swept out to sea and disappeared.
https://www.nsri.org.za/2025/08/a-local-man-is-missing-after-being-swept-off-west-pier-while-shoreline-angling/

13/08/2025

We’re excited to announce the winner of a 65" Smart TV in the NSRI FA Community Shield Giveaway. Congratulations to Matimba Justice Maluleke. A big thank you to everyone else for being part of our competition and for helping us change the score on drowning!

13/08/2025

Thanks to donors and volunteers, Plett is now one of the safest beaches in the world 🌊

New Beach Safety Cameras and shark alarms help NSRI teams act fast and save lives.

“This is proactive life saving,” says Jason Kampel.

12/08/2025

This Sunday our crew were on standby at both river crossings along the Touw River for the last day of the SOX - Southern Cross Trail Run 🏃‍♂️⛰️

Huge amounts of kudos to all the runners who braved the wind and the rain and still crossed the finished line 16kms later, with the biggest smiles on their faces! 💪🤩

We look forward to assisting again next year! 👏

11/08/2025

Police Search and Rescue, assisted by Metro Police Search and Rescue, are continuing in an ongoing search for a male teenager that was reported to be missing at Wedge Beach, Durban, on Friday.
https://www.nsri.org.za/2025/08/teenager-missing/

09/08/2025

Here’s to the women who rescue ❤️

This Women’s Day, we honour the brave, skilled, and fiercely dedicated women who serve in all roles at Sea Rescue.

Whether at the helm of a rescue vessel, in the water as a swimmer, on the radio coordinating operations, or supporting from shoreline - these women do it all.

Calm in the chaos.
Strong in the storm.
Relentless in their mission to save lives 💪

To every woman who shows up, suits up, and stands strong - thank you for being the difference. You inspire us all ❤️👏

05/08/2025

We’d like to send out a massive THANK YOU to the incredible team at WRK Electrical for going above and beyond for our station! ⚡️❤️

Not only did they sort out some tricky electrical issues at our Sedgefield Boat House, but they also supplied and installed brand new LED lighting throughout the boathouse - completely free of charge!

Their generosity has quite literally brightened up our space and helped ensure that our crew can continue to operate safely and efficiently, day and night.

Support from local businesses like this makes all the difference to our volunteer-run organisation. Thank you, Billy and WRK Electrical, for being such a shining light in our community 💡💛

01/08/2025

Monthly Cash Prize Competition

01/08/2025

With 1,859 Pink Rescue Buoys now deployed across South Africa, and 221 known lives saved, these bright, life-saving tools are making a real difference. Maintained by local volunteers and ready when seconds count, PRBs turn bystanders into rescuers. Want to help save lives in your community? Join the PRB volunteer network today.

See more: https://www.nsri.org.za/2025/06/pink-rescue-buoys-bright-bold-and-saving-lives/

31/07/2025

Two of our crew members just levelled up! 🥳

A massive congratulations to Mareé Pio and Hannes Snyman on achieving their Class 4 Coxswain tickets 👏

Your dedication, readiness to take command of rescue vessels, countless hours spent on the water, leadership skills and commitment to safety have paid off - and we at Station 23 couldn’t be prouder of them both! 💪

They are even more of an asset to our station, and to the community we serve 💙

28/07/2025

Weekend well spent! 🌊
From simulating a callout for a code red to doing some training in the surf, our crew kept the energy high this Sunday! 🙌
We practiced casualty pickups in the surf, and also sharpened our launching and recovery procedures - always training hard and focusing on safety first, so that we’re ready when it counts 💪

25/07/2025

Station 23 crew all wearing blue today in support of World Drowning Prevention Day 💙

23/07/2025

𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧; 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 💙

On Friday, 25 July 2025, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) will join communities across South Africa and around the world to observe World Drowning Prevention Day, a United Nations and World Health Organisation (WHO) initiative dedicated to awareness, remembrance, and action.

This year’s theme, “Your story can save a life,” is a powerful reminder that drowning prevention is not only about water safety and swimming lessons. It is also about stories. When shared, these stories can change behaviour, influence communities, and save lives.
Each year, drowning claims more than 236,000 lives globally and is one of the top 10 causes of death for children aged 5 to 14.

“This is not just a statistic; it’s a call to action,” says Mike Vonk, NSRI CEO. “World Drowning Prevention Day reminds us that while anyone can drown, no one should.”

With more than 3,000 kilometres of coastline, countless rivers, lakes, and dams, South Africa faces unique water safety challenges. The NSRI, having seen the tragedy of drowning far too often, expanded its mission from emergency response to proactive education and prevention.

𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Since 2006, the NSRI has been transforming lessons from real-life incidents into lifesaving education through initiatives such as:
• Water Safety Education: Reaching more than 5.5 million South Africans with vital skills, including bystander CPR.
• Survival Swimming: teaching children in under-resourced communities how to control their breathing, orient themselves in water, float and swim.
• The Pink Rescue Buoy Project: over 1,800 Pink Buoys have been deployed, directly saving at least 221 lives since its launch in 2017.
• The free NSRI SafeTRX App: helping small craft users log trips, track movements, and alert rescuers in an emergency.

In 2024 alone, the NSRI delivered 877,485 water safety lessons and taught 25,000 survival swimming lessons, empowering communities with knowledge that truly saves lives.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩
This World Drowning Prevention Day, the NSRI urges all South Africans to share their stories, raise awareness, and practice safe behaviour around water.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞:
• Learn to swim – Equip yourself and your children with basic water survival skills.
• Supervise children – Drowning is silent. Always keep a close watch on children.
• Avoid alcohol near water – Stay alert and in control.
• Check conditions before you swim – Always assess water and weather conditions.
• Use proper safety gear – Lifejackets save lives.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟓 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲
• Go Blue for Drowning Prevention – Wear blue on 25 July or host a blue-themed event
• Share your story – Inspire others by telling how water safety has touched your life. Post on social media using , , and tag .
• Support community efforts – Volunteer, donate, or help spread the word.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 💙

22/07/2025

This past weekend we swapped the ocean’s surf for the Swartvlei lake and made the most of the calm conditions, using the time to focus on building confidence and skill across our crew.

From boat entries and exits to navigation and vessel handling, every crew member got hands-on time - whether in the water or at the helm 👊

It was especially awesome to have been able to give our shore crew the chance to be on our vessels and to experience life from the other side of the radio! 👏

Training like this helps us grow as a unit – learning, adapting, focusing on safety first and supporting each other every step of the way 💪

Because when it counts, we all need to be ready 24/7 💙

Address

Wilderness
6560

Website

http://www.nsri.org.za/

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