Restube is using "World Drowning Prevention Day" as an opportunity to draw attention to the dangers of drowning and its own product. The day was initiated by the United Nations and aims to raise awareness of the risk of drowning and promote prevention measures. Governments and communities are called upon to take effective action to prevent drowning. Education and the development of water skills, swimming lessons and the improvement of water safety are essential for this.
Restube writes: "Drowning is one of the most common causes of death worldwide - affecting children and young adults in particular. According to the WHO, around 236,000 people lose their lives to drowning every year, with 2.5 million victims in the last 10 years. Drowning is one of the ten most common causes of death among people aged 1-24." Water sports enthusiasts such as windsurfers, wingers, SUPers and kiters are also affected time and again, and there are headlines about emergencies every summer.
The idea for Restube was born during an emergency in the Atlantic
"Many accidents in the water are avoidable! Additional buoyancy can provide immediate and effective help in the event of an accident in the water. Christopher Fuhrhop also realised this when he spent several hours floating in the Atlantic after a kitesurfing accident in 2012 and wanted nothing more than something to keep him afloat. As a budding engineer, he then developed Restube - a buoy, stowed away in a small bag, which is robust, lightweight and can be taken on any water adventure," the makers write in a press release. "If you find yourself in a tricky situation and need additional buoyancy, all you have to do is pull the trigger and the buoy inflates in seconds using a CO2 cartridge." According to the provider, over 400,000 people around the world already use Restube and more than 45 lives have been saved with the innovative water safety product.
"The inflatable Restube buoy is a compact safety product that can be stowed in a bag and worn comfortably around the waist or directly on the equipment. You can lean over the inflated buoy and keep your head above water - whatever your stature. You can also wave the buoy in a yellow signal colour to draw attention to yourself. If another person is in distress, the buoy can be passed on and you can help without putting yourself in danger. Once deployed, Restube can be reused by inserting a new CO2 cartridge. Restube can also be inflated via a mouth valve so that it can be towed behind you as a floating buoy."
Prevention and response: the "Drowning Chain of Survival"
An international team of scientists and lifeguards have been working on water safety and accident prevention and have created the Drowning Chain of Survival. The 5-step plan represents a "life-saving chain of measures in the event of drowning" - i.e. a guide to understanding how to prevent drowning and the correct action to take in the event of a drowning incident and to act accordingly.
Restube emphasises that its own product covers four of the five stages of the chain:
- Prevention by wearing a buoyancy chamber
- Draw attention to yourself with the Restube buoy in signal colour and with the whistle
- Help others by passing on the buoy
- Remove yourself quickly from the water, even with an inflated Restube buoy, as it has almost no resistance in the water and diving through waves also works
Professional rescue services around the world also rely on Restube, with special versions for trained lifeguards and for use with drones, helicopters or for throwing from a safe distance. The buoyancy aids are used by numerous fire brigades, air rescue centres and local sections of national water rescue services, from Austria to Great Britain to New York.
