Police divers boost readiness with intensive coastal training
Gauteng SAPS Water Wing members dive into action during their annual refresher training camp in Sodwana Bay, sharpening skills for critical search and rescue missions.
Image: SAPS
Members of the SAPS Water Wing from Gauteng have been undergoing intense daily dives and refresher classes at their annual training camp in Sodwana Bay to maintain operational readiness and meet commercial diving standards.
In a post shared by the South African Police Service (SAPS) on Tuesday, officials said the purpose of the refresher camp was to uphold the unit’s “operational standards and commercial diving regulations.”
“Gauteng #SAPS Water Wing members continued with their annual water police refresher training camp in Sodwana Bay,” SAPS confirmed.
Based inland, Gauteng’s police divers typically operate in dams and rivers, but they must be prepared to respond to disasters across the country and beyond its borders. “At any given time, members are required to be operationally ready and to react to disasters within South Africa and beyond,” the statement said.
The SAPS Water Police often collaborate with other specialised units, including the SAPS K9 Search and Rescue, SAPS Air Wing, and provincial emergency services. “These collaborations play crucial roles in the extensive efforts in #SearchAndRescue operations,” SAPS said.
The annual camp is part of a broader strategy to ensure that police divers remain equipped to assist in high-risk recovery and rescue operations, often under extreme conditions.