A recent purchase by Dauphin Island aims to reduce the risk involved in water rescues along the island’s Gulf-front beaches.
“Water rescue is one of the most dangerous rescues in the fire safety world,” said Troy Gorlott, Public Safety Supervisor on Dauphin Island. High rip currents and rough surf aren’t just dangerous for distressed swimmers — when a first responder enters the water for a rescue, he or she is putting their own life at risk as well. “The gulf will humble even the best swimmer,” Gorlott said.
That’s why the island purchased the U SAFE, a remote-controlled flotation device. “We turn the device on, deploy it into the water and use this simple joystick to make contact with the patient,” Gorlott explained. The operator rushes to an elevated surface, such as a truck bed or a nearby balcony, to get a better vantage point of the swimmer while guiding the device.
Gorlott said anyone on the department can operate the device, making it both safe to use and efficient to deploy. “This kind of adds to the layer that we do here on Dauphin Island between the education, notification and our rescue,” he said.
The U SAFE has a battery life of around 30 minutes and can travel up to 1,500 meters out into the water. It also has the ability to rescue two swimmers at the same time. According to Gorlott, it is the first remote-controlled floatation rescue device in Mobile County.
The device is kept on one of the department’s UTVs during beach patrols so it’s ready to go at a moment’s notice. During the day, it’s stored in one of the public safety department’s sprint vehicles, the white Tahoes often seen patrolling the island, so it can be quickly deployed if a call comes in.
First responders haven’t yet had to deploy the device in an actual rescue, but Gorlott said the department is glad to have it on hand in case they need it.