Lifebuoys can still save lives

THE four lifebuoys placed on the Swakopmund jetty for emergencies are tightly fastened to deter vandalism, but will easily snap off when an emergency arises.

This assurance was given by Quinton Liebenberg of the Lighthouse Group, which has taken ownership of the jetty. A concerned member of the public told The Namibian yesterday that the buoys are fastened with plastic straps that would be impossible to break without a knife.”By the time someone finds a knife and manages to cut the buoys free, the person who has fallen off the jetty would have little or no chance to grab onto one of these lifesavers; especially when the sea is rough,” he said.Asked if they possessed knives or scissors, the security guards at the jetty said they had no such instruments.Asked what would happen if someone fell into the water, they just shrugged and said: “Yes, that would be a problem.”Liebenberg, who is a former lifeguard, said the buoys were tied down because vandals had thrown them into the sea for no reason, wasting money and putting lives at risk.He assured The Namibian that the buoys were fastened by plastic cable-ties that could be ripped off easily by an average person in an emergency.”When someone falls off the jetty, any person with average strength would be able to pull these buoys off with a sharp jerk,” he said.The jetty was reopened for the first time last year after being closed for nearly a decade.The Swakopmund Municipality and the private sector worked together in renovating this historic landmark, which had suffered much corrosion from the coastal elements.Although there have not been many accidents at the jetty in the past, lifejackets and buoys have been placed at several spots along the jetty in case somebody falls into the rough sea below.A concerned member of the public told The Namibian yesterday that the buoys are fastened with plastic straps that would be impossible to break without a knife.”By the time someone finds a knife and manages to cut the buoys free, the person who has fallen off the jetty would have little or no chance to grab onto one of these lifesavers; especially when the sea is rough,” he said.Asked if they possessed knives or scissors, the security guards at the jetty said they had no such instruments.Asked what would happen if someone fell into the water, they just shrugged and said: “Yes, that would be a problem.”Liebenberg, who is a former lifeguard, said the buoys were tied down because vandals had thrown them into the sea for no reason, wasting money and putting lives at risk.He assured The Namibian that the buoys were fastened by plastic cable-ties that could be ripped off easily by an average person in an emergency.”When someone falls off the jetty, any person with average strength would be able to pull these buoys off with a sharp jerk,” he said.The jetty was reopened for the first time last year after being closed for nearly a decade.The Swakopmund Municipality and the private sector worked together in renovating this historic landmark, which had suffered much corrosion from the coastal elements.Although there have not been many accidents at the jetty in the past, lifejackets and buoys have been placed at several spots along the jetty in case somebody falls into the rough sea below.