WATCH: Lifeguards call for action as drowning rates rise

Yesterday was World Drowning Prevention Day.

A live sea rescue demo played out yesterday  with lifeguards, medics, and SAPS search and rescue officers working together to show how lives are saved.

Volunteer swimmers jumped off the pier as part of the simulation.

Lifeguards raced into the crashing surf, rescue boats were launched, and sirens rang out. (can add siren soud) The demo victims were brought back to shore, where CPR was demonstrated for the crowd.

Senior lifeguard Sihle Xaba says many beachgoers still treat lifeguards like a nuisance.

"  They seem to  get irritated. When lifeguards are blowing the whistle, but the whistle is our form of communication with the public because obviously you cannot scream out loud, especially when people go much further." 

Two civilians were also honoured with bravery awards -- after helping rescue a child from drowning at Baggies Beach earlier this month.

READ: Fisherman saves boy (9) from near-drowning at KZN beach

Summer Cusens, one of the recipients, says she just did what needed to be done. "It was completely unexpected. Think it would happen. Don't really need it. I mean, anybody would've jumped in and saved the boy." 

Livesaving SA's Dhaya Sewduth says more public pools are needed says drowning is an epidemic but that it's totally preventable with the right education. 

Sewduth says swimming lessons needs to be made compulsory and available to all schools and urged government to invest in water safety.

He says more public pools are needed. " The schools in disadvantaged areas do not have pools, you'll see many of the former model C and private schools have pools. Fortunately, Lifesaving SA partners with alot of the schools to make the facility accessible. Public pools must become operational and more of them need to be built, so more children from disadvantaged areas can actually get access."