World Drowning Prevention Day

The NSRI (National Sea Rescue Institute), in collaboration with the Division of Emergency Medicine at Stellenbosch University, commemorates World Drowning Prevention Day with a renewed commitment to partnerships, research, education, and community engagement in drowning prevention.

In South Africa, the fatal drowning statistics are alarming. On average, there are approximately 1500 drownings annually, of which 29% occur amongst children under 14 years.

Through the NSRI’s Memorandum of Agreement with the Division of Emergency Medicine at Stellenbosch University, emergency medicine and drowning prevention are being advanced in several key areas:

Research:

• Conducting epidemiological studies on drowning patterns in South Africa
• Evaluating the effectiveness of various prevention strategies in local contexts
• Resuscitation techniques for drowning victims

Education:

• Integrating comprehensive drowning prevention modules into their emergency medicine curriculum
• Developing continuing education programmes for healthcare professionals on aquatic emergencies
• Creating public awareness campaigns on water safety and drowning risks.

Clinical Training:

• Enhancing skills in aquatic rescue, resuscitation techniques, and post-rescue care
• Simulating drowning scenarios for advanced life support training
• Collaborating with the NSRI to provide hands-on experience in maritime rescue operations

Community Outreach:

• Implementing WHO-recommended interventions, including:
• Training bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation techniques

These initiatives complement the NSRI’s work, which in 2023 included reaching 905,183 children with water safety education lessons and teaching 17,998 Survival Swimming lessons.

In 2023, NSRI volunteers and lifeguards operated from 130 service locations, including seasonal lifeguard stations, rescuing a total of 1822 people and 97 animals. We also have a network of Beach Safety Cameras and over 1800 Pink Rescue Buoys, which have been used to rescue 184 people that we know of.

The NSRI and The Division of Emergency Medicine at Stellenbosch University are committed to generating and disseminating knowledge that can save lives. Our partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration between academia and practical rescue services. Together, we can contribute significantly to South Africa’s effort to prevent drowning and protect our communities.