Mitsubishi keeps you safe on the road – and in the water
Mitsubishi Motors South Africa (MMSA) and the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) have extended their 18-year partnership into the year-end holiday season with the ultimately dependable fleet of Mitsubishi 4×4 vehicles.
“Search and rescue work means that we rely on our fleet of rescue boats and rescue vehicles in tricky situations. The safety of our crew and our patients is our priority and we are grateful to our partners at Mitsubishi Motors who we can confidently count on, year after year,” says Brett Ayres, Operations Manager at the National Sea Rescue Institute.
The Mitsubishi Motors / NSRI partnership has been running for 18 years and is one of the longest sponsorship partnerships in South Africa, boasting the biggest fleet of Triton bakkies.
One of the outstanding features of the Triton that makes it an NSRI favourite is the vehicle’s off-road ability to drive on the beach as well as its towing ability for heavy boats.
“Only rescue and other official vehicles are allowed on beaches in South Africa, and this is where the Triton makes its mark,” says Nic Campbell, General Manager of Mitsubishi Motors South Africa. “The Triton boasts our advanced SS II 4WD System that makes boat towing in sandy and rough conditions as easy as a walk in the park.”
The Triton has recently been upgraded with a higher towing capacity and increased safety features i.e. 7 airbags and makes child’s play of towing boat and other trailers of up to 3.1 tons on and off the road.
The NSRI runs 42 stations across the country on the coast line as well as at other mass water venues such as dams and lakes. The NSRI came to life in 1967 after a fishing boat tragedy at Stilbaai on the south east coast.
In 2006 the NSRI’s drowning prevention initiative – teaching water safety lessons – was launched, which is focussing on child safety and, just recently, survival swimming through their Survival Swimming programme.
“We visit schools around the country, teaching children about water safety, what to do in an emergency and how to do basic hands-on CPR. We have a team of 14 instructors, spread around South Africa to visit children in their school classrooms – specifically in poor communities where access to information is limited and the need is great,” says NSRI CEO Dr. Cleeve Robertson.
It is estimated that 600 children die from fatal drowning every year in South Africa, this is equivalent of 10 busses full of children.
“We live in a great lifestyle country where water is part of our daily pastimes and it is a pity that so many kids can’t enjoy this privilege because so many children drown every year. Many lives are being saved by the NSRI and its training programme,” adds Campbell.
Mitsubishi Motor’s involvement also includes an annual raffle where two Mitsubishi vehicles can be won. “It is called the Double Mitsubishi Car Competition with the first prize a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport AND an ASX,” says NSRI Events Manager Krista Lazzari. “The second prize is R250 000 cash and the third prize R80 000 for a holiday of your dreams.
“The money raised is used to buy new boats and equipment for NSRI stations. Sea Rescue is waiting for delivery of two new ORC Search and Rescue vessels from France early in the new year, and they cost around R19 million each. The new boats will be stationed at Durban and Simon’s Town. We will build additional ORCs through a supplier in South Africa.”
The next raffle starts in January 2019. Please call 021-430 4703 for further information.
“We are extremely proud to be associated with the NSRI for the great work they do – remember, they are all volunteers, except staff at the official head-office,” concludes Campbell.
