Salvare Worldwide Ltd

If a liferaft cannot be boarded or none is carried, many people are left with only a lifejacket. Many lifejackets are of poor design and do not protect the wearer from hypothermia, which can incapacitate the wearer within minutes in cold water. In the majority of rescues at sea, the waiting time is hours rather than days, especially in inland or coastal waters, so the days of sustenance a liferaft provides are not required. In the Second World War, the Carley liferaft saved thousands of lives simply by removing survivors from the water and giving them a place to rest while waiting for rescue. Based on the Carley float, the Seapod was conceived: an inflatable survival platform designed with modern technology to provide a safe refuge for those waiting for rescue. The pod folds into a small parcel weighing only a few kilos, yet when inflated can hold up to 4 persons. It consists of two separate auto-inflated chambers, is the same on both sides with hand and foot holds, and is only centimetres thick, so with no freeboard it keeps its position without being affected by wind or waves; the soft container becomes a drogue, and handholds around the outside provide holds for more survivors. The low freeboard allows everyone, including the injured or handicapped, to crawl onto it. It can also be used with liferafts as a boarding platform. The Pod comes in three sizes, 1.2, 1.8 and 3 metres in diameter, with larger sizes made to order, in round or hexagonal shapes, and Pods can be clipped together to keep large groups of survivors together. Its light weight and size allow all boats and ships to stow it under seats and thwarts, and it is suitable for aircraft and helicopters, ideal for dropping to survivors from marine craft or natural disasters such as floods. It requires minimal maintenance and, after the air cylinders are replaced, can be repackaged after use, making it suitable for training or leisure use.