A pink buoy has recently gone missing from Rocklands beach following the drowning of four teenagers who reportedly got carried away by rip currents while swimming at Rocklands Beach last Sunday.
The pink buoy was recently placed on the beach by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) to assist in further emergencies following the deaths of the four teenagers.
NSRI CEO Dr Cleeve Robertson pleads that anyone with information would contact the NSRI.
“We are appealing to the public to please be vigilant and watch our buoys. If you find them, please give us a call and we will try and replace those buoys as soon as possible,” he told News24.
The bouy has since been replaced on Rocklands Beach.
The Pink Buoy’s project was first implemented in November 2017 as part of NSRI’s extensive National Drowning Prevention Campaign. The bright pink buoys are stationed on poles at select beaches along the coastline as well as at some inland dams and rivers.
“An observation from similar projects that are happening around the globe is that untrained people are going to the aid of someone who is in danger of drowning despite being advised not to,” explains NSRI’s Drowning Prevention manager Andrew Ingram. “Our Pink Rescue Buoys use simple graphics to explain that it is better to throw the float to someone and call for help. But if someone does go into the water despite the danger, they have a much better chance of survival if they take flotation with them.”
The pink buoys have assisted 50 people since they have been implemented, most recently helping a surfer stuck in rip currents at Magnas Beach, Jeffrey’s Bay on November 27.
This is not the first time a buoy has gone missing. In December 2018, a group of teenagers were caught on CCTV footage walking away with a buoy from Point Beach, Jeffrey’s Bay, but the buoy was returned.
Picture: Facebook / NSRI