CAPE TOWN - An unidentified man has apologised to the NSRI and returned the missing pink buoy for which the sea rescue organisation put out a plea after it had been taken at Strand Beach.
NSRI Drowning Prevention manager, Andrew Ingram, said the man returned the pink buoy on Wednesday just after 10am.
In a post by the NSRI, pleading with the public to help with any information to retrieve the stolen pink buoy, the organisation said the lifesaving device was taken from its pole by two men just before 7pm on Monday evening, and didn’t return it.
“The buoy was replaced on its hook on Wednesday morning at 10.04am. A man carrying a black bag walked up to the pole, took the Pink Rescue Buoy out of the bag, and hung it back in its place. The man who replaced it then walked to the Strand Surf Lifesaving club and apologised to the Strand lifeguards for what he did.
“There were no tip offs. We believe that it was all thanks to those who support the Pink Rescue Buoy project and the NSRI social media community who cares so much about the Pink Rescue Buoy project that the Pink Buoy was returned. The traditional media also played a huge role in highlighting the project, that 80 lives have been saved using a Pink Rescue Buoy and that they are sponsored by the community for the community. We believe that this pressure helped the two young men who took it to do the right thing – return it to where it belonged,” said Ingram.
Ingram said no criminal charge was laid and they were delighted to have the pink buoy, valued at R1 500, back in their possession.
“We are thrilled that the two took the right decision and returned what is effectively the Strand community’s public rescue equipment. There are few among us who can claim never to have made a bad decision. What counts is how that bad decision is made good ... these two young men righted what they had done wrong.
“We hope that this will not happen again and are most grateful for the incredible support from the community which we believe is growing day by day and will eventually make it so uncool to remove a Pink Buoy from its pole – other than in a rescue – that this will stop happening,” said Ingram.
He said there were a number of the Pink Rescue Buoys monitored by Beach Safety Cameras and the NSRI was currently busy with a proof of concept in which they can track the movement of the pink buoys.
The Pink Rescue Buoy project is part of an extensive National Drowning Prevention Campaign started by the NSRI during 2017.
Pink Rescue Buoys belong to Sea Rescue and should be returned to its sign post after use so it can be used to save another life.
Cape Times