27/09/2026
Thank you Kouga News for the below story on the organisation. Kouga News
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗡𝗦𝗥𝗜’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝟲𝟬-𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀
As South Africa marks Heritage Day and World Maritime Day on 24 September, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is reflecting on nearly 60 years of South Africans working together to save lives on coastal and inland waters.
The organisation, which traces its beginnings to 1967, has grown into a nationwide rescue service supported by generations of volunteers, donors, partners and communities.
Its origins followed tragedy off Stilbaai in 1966, when three fishing boats sank during a storm and 17 people lost their lives.
The disaster prompted Simon’s Town teacher Patti Price to begin a letter-writing campaign calling for a dedicated sea rescue service in South Africa.
Price had personal experience of being in distress at sea. As a child, she had been rescued from a wrecked ship in the English Channel by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and believed South Africa needed a similar organisation.
Her campaign gained the support of the Society of Master Mariners of South Africa, which established the South African Inshore Rescue Service in 1967. It was later renamed the National Sea Rescue Institute.
With the organisation preparing to mark its 60th anniversary in 2027, the NSRI says its history remains closely linked to the values of courage, service, community and volunteerism associated with Heritage Day.
NSRI Chief Executive Officer Mike Vonk said:
Heritage is not only what we inherit from those who came before us. It is also what we choose to carry forward. The NSRI’s story belongs to the thousands of volunteers who have answered calls for help, the donors who have made our work possible and the communities that continue to stand behind us.
Today, the NSRI operates across South Africa’s oceans, dams, rivers and other inland waters.
During 2025, the organisation recorded:
1,431 operational volunteers
43 active rescue stations
Operations across eight provinces
1,069 rescue operations
1,548 people rescued
Heritage Day in 2026 also coincides with World Maritime Day, which recognises the global maritime sector and those involved in keeping it safe and functioning.
The World Maritime Day theme for 2026 and 2027, From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence, focuses on translating maritime standards and commitments into practical action.
The NSRI’s work has also expanded beyond emergency rescue since its establishment.
Its activities now include water safety education, survival swimming, lifeguarding, the Pink Rescue Buoy programme and other drowning-prevention initiatives.
During 2025, more than 924,000 people were reached through water safety education and survival swimming programmes across all nine provinces.
NSRI lifeguards carried out 531 rescues, while Pink Rescue Buoys have been credited with saving more than 260 lives since the programme started in late 2017.
The organisation says its development reflects a growing focus on preventing emergencies as well as responding to them, including helping communities understand water-related risks, teaching practical skills and making rescue equipment available where it is needed.
Volunteer and community support remains central to the NSRI’s work.
More than 97% of its funding comes from private individuals and companies, while community fundraising continues the tradition that began with Patti Price’s letters of appeal in 1967.
This Heritage Day, the NSRI is encouraging South Africans to continue supporting a rescue legacy built over almost six decades.
Source: National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI)
Photo credits: National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI)
