NSRI

05/06/2026

Trapped on rooftops.
Families stranded for over 30 hours.
Rescue crews navigated freezing floodwaters to reach them. 🌧️

As devastating floods swept across the Western and Eastern Cape, NSRI volunteers worked alongside emergency teams around the clock to bring people to safety, including toddlers, elderly residents and families cut off by rising waters.

Behind every rescue was a crew willing to push through exhaustion and dangerous conditions because giving up was never an option.

To every volunteer, rescuer and emergency worker who stepped forward when communities needed help most, thank you. 💙

See more: https://www.nsri.org.za/2026/05/provincial-floods-trigger-major-nsri-response/

03/06/2026

The NSRI is seeking an experienced Team Manager who will be responsible for leading a team of approximately 20 fundraisers, driving revenue growth, and ensuring operational efficiency. This role focuses on driving sales, team motivation, performance management, and coaching. The Team Manager plays a pivotal role in driving target delivery while maintaining a high-energy, supportive, and ethical fundraising environment.

The National Sea Rescue Institute is a charity staffed by volunteers who are on call 24/7. Our mission is to save lives on South African waters.

02/06/2026

A Week of Lifesaving Missions: Every week, our volunteer rescue crews answer the call to emergencies across South Africa, from our coastlines to inland waters. Here’s a look at some of the rescues, images, and moments from the past week that reflect their courage, skill, and unwavering commitment to saving lives.

29/05/2026

At Rhodes University, many students have never had the chance to learn how to swim, even with a pool on campus.

The NSRI’s Survival Swimming Programme is helping change that, creating a safe space for students to build confidence in the water, often for the very first time.

“I think it’s important to teach adults who can’t swim,” says instructor Carol Mewse. “They’ll pass that confidence on to others.”

For many, the first lesson starts with nerves at the pool’s edge, and ends with small breakthroughs like floating, breathing, and trusting the water.

Rhodes student Hlumisa describes feeling anxious at first, but quickly finding support in a patient, encouraging environment.

“I’ll never forget the smile when someone floats on their own for the first time,” Carol says.

Alongside student lessons, the programme is also training new instructors to expand access across surrounding communities.

With more than 500 students already on the waiting list, the need and impact continues to grow.

See more: https://www.nsri.org.za/2026/04/survival-swimming-expands-to-rhodes-university/

27/05/2026

In December 2024, while visiting family in Kuruman, Reagan Gellant received every
parent’s worst call, his nine-year-old son had been involved in a non-fatal drowning
incident at Meiringspoort.

“That’s when I realised how important water safety really is,” he says.
The experience made Reagan think about children in his own community, many
growing up around rivers and dams without swimming or survival skills.
“What if more of them had the skills to survive?” he asked.

He reached out to the NSRI, and together with Community Programmes Coordinator
Caville Abrahams, helped launch the Dysselsdorp Survival Swimming Programme.
Training began in 2025, equipping local community members to teach survival
swimming.

By December 2025, the first facilitators were certified, ordinary residents now helping
protect children in their own town. “Parents keep asking when their children can join,” Reagan says.
“The need is real.”

What began as a personal scare has become a community solution.

See more: https://www.nsri.org.za/2026/04/nsri-launches-survival-swimming-programme-in-dysselsdorp/

25/05/2026

When Stuart Harrison reached for a falling glass on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon,
he didn’t expect his day to turn into a medical emergency.
“I was washing glasses when one slipped,” he recalls. “As I grabbed for it, it broke
and went straight into my wrist.”

In seconds, a routine moment became serious. With his phone difficult to unlock due
to a bleeding hand, Stuart knew he needed help fast.
“All I needed was someone to know this had happened,” he says.
One thought came immediately, Station 32, Port Edward.
“I phoned Marlene and Kyle from NSRI,” he says. “They were here almost
immediately.” Within minutes, four NSRI volunteers arrived and stabilised him before rushing him
to hospital, where doctors confirmed the glass had narrowly missed a major artery.

“I was very lucky,” Stuart says. “It could have been much worse.”
Station Commander John Nicholas says responses like this are part of daily life for
Station 32, where volunteers often assist with medical emergencies in a remote area
far from ambulance services.

For Stuart, the experience was simple but powerful:
“It’s reassuring to know that help is that close, and that people will drop everything to
come.”

See more: https://www.nsri.org.za/2026/04/kitchen-injury-highlights-nsris-wider-impact/

22/05/2026

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde visited the NSRI Volunteer Support Centre in Cape Town on Friday, 22 May, to personally thank the volunteer crews and staff who responded during the recent devastating floods across the province.

NSRI rescue crews worked through freezing conditions and dangerous floodwaters to help bring stranded families to safety in some of the Western Cape’s worst-affected communities.

We thank every volunteer, emergency worker and partner agency involved in this extraordinary response, and our thoughts remain with all those affected as recovery continues.

22/05/2026

Congratulations to Emily Nkoana and Fauzia Salejee, the winners of an NSRIxbound bag each! Thanks to everyone who entered.

22/05/2026

A local efoiler off Mouille Point recently found himself stranded about 2km offshore after his battery ran flat in otherwise perfect conditions.
Instead of attempting a risky swim in, he stayed calm, secured his equipment, and used his waterproof cellphone to send his GPS location to the NSRI via WhatsApp. That single action made all the difference.

With exact coordinates in hand, Station 3 Table Bay was dispatched immediately and was able to locate him quickly and bring him safely back to shore. NSRI says the incident is a strong reminder that simple preparation, a waterproof phone, basic safety gear, and tools like the SafeTRX app, can dramatically improve response times when things go wrong on the water.

Click link to learn more and download the SafeTRX app:
https://www.nsri.org.za/water-safety/safetrx/