National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI)

General Information

Sea Rescue is the charity that saves lives on South African waters.

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.

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.

Our involvement in Search and Rescue

WSAR is primarily a land based operation, while the NSRI is primarily focused on ocean and open water rescues. We assist in the case of incidents along the coast line (surf) and on bigger inland waters (dams).