Stellenbosch University and NSRI Unite to Tackle Drowning Epidemic in South Africa

In an initiative of profound social responsibility, Stellenbosch University (SU) has joined forces with the esteemed National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) to challenge the high incidence of drownings in South Africa. A Memorandum of Understanding, inked on July 8, just before World Drowning Prevention Day, represents an ambitious alliance between SU's Division of Emergency Medicine and NSRI, with the hope of slashing the sobering statistic of approximately 1,500 drownings each year within the nation.

Professor Sa’ad Lahri, the head of SU’s Division of Emergency Medicine, expressed optimism about the partnership providing a necessary fusion of academic insight and hands-on rescue operations. Drawing from disturbing figures that record nearly one-third of drownings involving children under 14, the collaboration will spawn rigorous research, educational endeavors, and amplification of public awareness centered on aquatic safety and drowning deterrence.

The multifaceted initiative will incorporate expansive research into drowning patterns, the elaboration of prevention methodologies and remedies, as well as educational and hands-on training for healthcare students and professionals specializing in aquatic emergencies. The expected outcome is a formidable, holistic response to drowning prevention and emergency care. The NSRI's highly skilled rescuers will offer practical knowledge to students, fuelling a new generation of medical professionals with a multisectoral and community-oriented approach to drowning prevention.

For the 2023/24 season, official data from the City of Cape Town paints a distressing picture, with 30 near-drownings, 14 drownings, and 80 rescues documented along the coast. A glaring concern is noted that most drowning incidents occurred outside designated swimming zones or beyond lifeguard duty hours.

Echoing Professor Lahri's sentiments, NSRI CEO Cleeve Robertson underscored the strategic importance of the partnership, pinpointing it as a vital enhancement to NSRI's emergency care proficiency, steered by a premier Emergency Medicine Division of a South African university. Highlighting a tragic climate-induced event in KwaZulu-Natal, resulting in an abnormal spike in deaths, Robertson emphasized the critical role of preventability and systems evolution to curtail future drownings.

More so, the partnership pledges to erect an evidence-based foundation required for instigating lifesaving interventions. This combined alliance not only promises immediate benefit in terms of reducing drowning occurrences but also aims to establish enduring water safety culture within South African society.