The NSRI’s pioneering pink rescue buoys might soon be used along Australia’s coastline, if an emergency flotation equipment trial in Sydney proves a success.

Surf Life Saving New South Wales has started a trial of Rescue Floatation Equipment (RFE) designed to assist a member of the public in the event they attempt to rescue someone from the water.

The NSRI’s pink rescue buoys, first introduced in 2017, have been credited with saving 43 lives in South Africa.

The buoys allows for untrained bystanders to assist swimmers in difficulty, in the event that a lifeguard is not available. The rescue buoy is mounted prominently on large boards at beaches with simple instructions and tips.

There are now 50 of these devices stationed between Lambert’s Bay and St Lucia, and it could be used in Australia. A public partition process is currently underway, which will inform the final policy on bystander rescue devices.

PHOTOS: Courtesy of www.nsri.org.za