Pakistan Life Saving Foundation (PALS Rescue), the country’s only privately run, near-shore drowning prevention and rescue body has so far saved 176 people from drowning this monsoon season, thus preventing immeasurable tragedies from occurring for several families.
Apart from the lives saved, this humanitarian NGO has also carried out 565,550 preventive actions amidst extremely challenging weather conditions. Accordingly, PALS Rescue with its 250 lifeguards deployed along the various beaches along Karachi’s coastline, has not just saved 176 people from drowning but has also assisted in providing basic first aid to an estimated 193 beach visitors during these past three months, besides warning beachgoers in real time on the perils of entering the sea especially during the monsoon months. The beaches being patrolled by PALS Rescue include Sandspit, Hawkes Bay, French Beach, Sunehra, Kanupp Point, and Mubarak Village.
“Having well-guarded beaches is the basic right of the citizens and we ensure that this service is provided unhindered by our NGO, free of cost,” Syed Muhammad Ahsan, Chief Administrator of Pakistan Life Saving Foundation (PALS Rescue), “Our lifeguards have to be very vigilant during the monsoon season so as to avoid any unforeseen events and there is a dire need to expand our services, something that is highly dependent on fund generation and we appeal to all citizens, to organisations and especially to the corporate sector to come forward with donations to keep the service going. A life lost due to drowning is a tragedy of incalculable proportions, destroying families’ soul forever.”
Pakistan Life Saving Foundation (PALS Rescue) was founded as an NGO in July 2004 out of the sheer necessity to commence a free service that would provide life-saving facilities at the beaches of Karachi. It now employs more than 250 highly trained lifeguards representing the fishing community while the demand for their services doubles during the monsoon season. Till date, the organisation has employed more than 1,000 lifeguards and saved over 5,500 lives, and provides protection to 8 million beach visitors on an annual basis.
