January 29, 2019
The Pool Rescue dummy has been developed by the Welsh manikin manufacturer Ruth Lee Ltd and weighs 30kg.
The manikin has been designed to feel like an unconscious person in the water and will sink unless it is being towed.
According to its makers, it can reduce the need to use volunteers in training exercises, potential injury and any embarrassment caused by close personal contact.
It has also been developed with assistance from the water safety charity, the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK) and is now being used in 17 different countries, including the US, Australia and Germany.
In the UK, drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in children and every year in the UK and Ireland more than 700 people drown.
Hundreds more have near-drowning experiences, sometimes suffering life-changing injuries.
“We make manikins which provide lifeguards with a realistic challenge. It is crucial that they learn how to safely manoeuvre people in distress in water,” said Sarah Hampson from Ruth Lee.
“Our product brings together different elements of lifeguard training, allowing trainees to seamlessly practice different techniques without needing to switch between different equipment or live volunteers.
“Saving lives is a subject very close to our hearts and the leading driver in all the products we create,” she added.
