An apparatus that facilitates search and rescue, for example, in open water. The apparatus comprises a substrate with a particular geometry and a perimeter. The apparatus further comprises a cover positioned atop the substrate with the cover also having a particular geometry and perimeter, which correspond to the geometry and perimeter of the substrate. An air-tight seal seals the substrate perimeter to the cover perimeter and creates a sealed internal region. A breakable vessel holding an activator is located in the sealed internal region, along with illuminable dyes that are also located in the sealed internal region. When the breakable vessel is broken, the activator reacts with the illuminable dyes and illuminates the illuminable dyes.

An overboard tracking device is an apparatus which facilitates the location of individuals wearing Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) or similar survival devices in a body of water. The apparatus includes a prismatic buoyant housing, a power source, at least one switch, a controller, a transceiver, a thermionic layer, an antenna layer, and a waterproof casing. The prismatic buoyant housing maintains the apparatus above water. The power source provides power for the operation of the apparatus. The at least one switch enables manual or automatic activation or deactivation for the apparatus. The controller processes the data and signals received from external radar sources. The transceiver facilitates the sending and receiving of radio wave signals to/from external radar sources. The thermionic layer generates the power stored in the power source. The antenna layer transmits radio waves from/to the transceiver. The waterproof casing prevents contact of the electronic components with water.

An overboard tracking patch is an apparatus which increases the visibility and tracking capabilities of Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) for more efficient tracking of overboard individuals. In a passive embodiment, the apparatus includes an outer layer, an intermediate layer, an attachment layer, and a processor. The outer layer increases the visibility of PFDs during both daytime and nighttime conditions. The intermediate layer provides radio identification capabilities for the remote tracking of PFDs using search radars. The attachment layer enables users to attach the present invention to a PFD. The processor stores PFD information and other identification data. In a hybrid active-passive embodiment, the apparatus also comprises a thermionic layer and a power-storage layer. The thermionic layer generates power due to the heat exchange between the body of the user and the thermionic layer. The power-storage layer serves to store power generated by the thermionic layer to power up the processor.

A fluid pit safety system is disclosed to prevent drowning incidents in a fluid pit filled with a fluid. The system comprises a plurality of sensors spatially disposed adjacent the fluid pit, a perimeter detection sub-system defining a perimeter arranged around an edge of the fluid pit, and a rescue device arranged in the fluid pit. The plurality of sensors are configured to detect a change in fluid height in the fluid pit. The perimeter detection sub-system is configured to detect a disruption in the perimeter. The rescue device is configured to move towards a surface of the fluid in the fluid pit in response to the plurality of sensors detecting the change in the fluid height in the fluid pit and the perimeter detection sub-system detecting the disruption in the perimeter.

A boat ladder alarm system for a foldable boat ladder having a base rail and a movable rail is disclosed. In one embodiment, the boat ladder alarm system includes a first bracket, a second bracket, and a sensor system. The sensor system is configured to trigger an alarm when the first bracket and the second bracket are unconnected and to turn off the alarm when the first bracket and the second bracket are connected. In this manner, if the foldable boat ladder is unfolded and someone is trying to climb on the boat, the alarm is triggered to warn the boat operator that it is not safe to turn on the boat engine.

Provided is a maritime overboard locator system for use in locating and rescuing a person or asset that has fallen overboard into a body of water. The system includes a locator attached to a person or asset that is activated manually or automatically upon immersion in water. The apparatus emits light, sound, radio, or any combination thereof. The locator is detected by one or more detectors onboard a boat, ship, vessel, or structure. The detectors detect a unique signal that is assigned to each person/asset. Once detected, the detector sends an overboard alert and deploys an unmanned aerial or underwater drone. The drone can include an inflatable life preserver or life raft and a tether cord that helps the person to remain afloat until rescue can be accomplished.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a boat driver awareness system that alerts other boaters that there are swimmers, skiers, divers, rope or other hazards are in the water, thereby telling them to be aware and take extra caution in the area. When boating, especially on smaller or busy lakes/areas, this system will alert all other boaters that there are people/swimmers in the water and they can respond by keeping out of the area.

The invention relates to a monitoring device 1 for monitoring a man-overboard situation in a ship section 4, wherein the ship section 4 is monitored by video technology using at least one camera 5a,5b and the camera 5a,5b is designed to provide surveillance in the form of video data. The monitoring device comprises an evaluation device 7, said evaluation device 7 having an interface for receiving the video data, wherein the evaluation device 7 is designed to detect a moving object in the ship section 4 on the basis of the video data and to determine a kinematic variable of the moving object. The evaluation device 7 is designed to determine a starting point in three dimensions on the basis of the video data and the kinematic variable of the moving object and to evaluate the moving object as a man-overboard event on the basis of the starting point.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a system to sense immersion of a participant into water. The system comprises a smart flag and an alarm device of a watercraft, and an FOB device of a participant. The smart flag, the alarm, and the FOB device are wirelessly connected to each other. The FOB device detects the immersion of the participant in the water. The smart flag is automatically deployed based on the detected immersion. The alarm device is automatically turned ON creating an alarm indicating an SOS signal. When the participant gets submerged in the water, the communication is ceased, thus initiating the flag to go up automatically and alarm a captain of the watercraft. Deployment of the flag lets surrounding watercraft to know that the participant is in the water.

A marine vessel to improve a transmission characteristic of a rescue signal when the marine vessel is capsized includes a transmission source to transmit a rescue signal to a vicinity above a water surface both when the marine vessel is not capsized and when the marine vessel is capsized.