The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death around the world.
This fact might be the reason why Egyptian researchers designed a flotation device that works on a remote control to save drowning people without the need of lifeguards.
The floating device, which was designed and developed by the researchers in the Technology Transfer Unit at Assiut University in Egypt, underwent a practical experiment on Sunday on one of Alexandria's shores, and proved its efficiency in rapidly pulling out drowning people.
According to statistics published on the WHO official website, drowning is the reason behind 7% of total accident-related deaths, and was behind 372,000 deaths in 2012.
Mohammed Naji al-Nashar, director of the Technology Transfer Unit, Alexandria branch, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the delayed arrival of lifeguards with their equipment is one of the reasons contributing to the increased number of drowning accidents.
The new device allows a faster rescue as it can be operated with a remote control at a speed of 21 knots (the knot is 1.852 kilometers per hour) to reach the drowning people.
Nashar, an engineer specializing in ship and yacht engineering, added that ships engineering dimensions were taken into account in the manufacture of the device. It is designed with a 60-degree angle to be able to handle high waves. It also has a built-in water jet system –a high-speed water-discharge machine designed to propel watercrafts- in addition to a marine lighting systems for night missions.
The cost of the new float is estimated at 20,000 pounds (approximately $1,100), because it is designed using expensive handcrafted materials.
The modern rescue device was among the innovations introduced by the Technology Transfer Unit at the University of Assiut in its pavilion at the Cairo Innovation Fair, which concluded last week.
