Water rescue of an individual whether they be a man overboard (MOB) from a boat or someone close to shore requiring a water rescue by shore lifeguards, can easily become a dangerous and life-threatening situation within a few seconds.

The current invention offers a Compact Powered Rescue Apparatus (CPRA), a lightweight and compact powered watercraft that can be deployed from a moving boat in just seconds thanks to an innovative CO.sub.2 inflation system. CPRA can be stowed on-board a vessel and automatically inflated in just seconds much like the compulsory life-raft or pre-inflated and ready to deploy immediately from shoreline lifeguard stations.

CPRA is a powered watercraft based on U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,029 Motorized Surf Boots (Powered Waterskis), a recreational watercraft. However, in this case the craft is made inflatable, configured with a portable stretcher for water search-and-rescue operations, and driven by battery powered electric marine thrusters.

A survival craft comprises a hull (10) formed from inflatable members (12, 13) and mounting a powered propulsion system (18, 19) for the survival craft. A superstructure (11) is mounted on the hull and formed from inflatable members (25, 26, 29a-29i) and a flexible roof (28) supported by the inflatable members (25, 26, 29a-29i). The superstructure provides the hull (10) with increased longitudinal rigidity that reduces the tendency of the hull (10) to bow longitudinally when the propulsion system (18, 19) is operating. The survival craft forms part of a marine escape system with the survival craft deflated and packed in a container including an inflation system for the survival craft. The system has a deployment system for amounting on a marine structure and carrying the container with the deployment system transferring the container from the structure to the water where the inflation system inflates the survival craft for access by persons.

A survival craft comprises a hull (10) formed from inflatable members (12, 13) and mounting a powered propulsion system (18, 19) for the survival craft. A superstructure (11) is mounted on the hull and formed from inflatable members (25, 26, 29a-29i) and a flexible roof (28) supported by the inflatable members (25, 26, 29a-29i). The superstructure provides the hull (10) with increased longitudinal rigidity that reduces the tendency of the hull (10) to bow longitudinally when the propulsion system (18, 19) is operating. The survival craft forms part of a marine escape system with the survival craft deflated and packed in a container including an inflation system for the survival craft. The system has a deployment system for amounting on a marine structure and carrying the container with the deployment system transferring the container from the structure to the water where the inflation system inflates the survival craft for access by persons.

This invention relates to a survival craft comprising a hull (10) formed from inflatable members, an optional canopy support structure carried by the hull and formed from inflatable members, and an inflatable wall structure (11). The invention also relates to rigid pod (19) configured to carry a survival craft in a deflated state and be coupled to the hull when the craft is in an inflated state. The inflatable parts may be formed from drop thread material.

This invention relates to a survival craft comprising a hull (10) formed from inflatable members, an optional canopy support structure carried by the hull and formed from inflatable members, and an inflatable wall structure (11). The invention also relates to rigid pod (19) configured to carry a survival craft in a deflated state and be coupled to the hull when the craft is in an inflated state. The inflatable parts may be formed from drop thread material.

Water rescue of an individual whether they be a man overboard (MOB) from a boat or someone close to shore requiring a water rescue by shore lifeguards, can easily become a dangerous and life-threatening situation within a few seconds. The current invention offers a Compact Powered Rescue Apparatus (CPRA), a lightweight and compact powered watercraft that can be deployed from a moving boat in just seconds thanks to an innovative CO.sub.2 inflation system. CPRA can be stowed on-board a vessel and automatically inflated in just seconds much like the compulsory life-raft or pre-inflated and ready to deploy immediately from shoreline lifeguard stations. CPRA is a powered watercraft based on U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,029 Motorized Surf Boots (Powered Waterskis), a recreational watercraft. However, in this case the craft is made inflatable, configured with a portable stretcher for water search-and-rescue operations, and driven by battery powered electric marine thrusters.

Water rescue of an individual whether they be a man overboard (MOB) from a boat or someone close to shore requiring a water rescue by shore lifeguards, can easily become a dangerous and life-threatening situation within a few seconds. The current invention offers a Compact Powered Rescue Apparatus (CPRA), a lightweight and compact powered watercraft that can be deployed from a moving boat in just seconds thanks to an innovative CO.sub.2 inflation system. CPRA can be stowed on-board a vessel and automatically inflated in just seconds much like the compulsory life-raft or pre-inflated and ready to deploy immediately from shoreline lifeguard stations. CPRA is a powered watercraft based on U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,029 Motorized Surf Boots (Powered Waterskis), a recreational watercraft. However, in this case the craft is made inflatable, configured with a portable stretcher for water search-and-rescue operations, and driven by battery powered electric marine thrusters.

A survival craft for maritime evacuation of passengers and crew members from a vessel or an offshore facility is disclosed. The survival craft has a hull, predominantly made of non-rigid inflatable tubes and one or more shells, the hull has a length, a width and a centerline, a bow and a stern. The survival craft further comprises a first pair of engine-powered propulsion means arranged at the stern on opposite sides of the centerline, and a second pair of engine-powered propulsion means arranged at the bow on opposite sides of the centerline, each engine-powered propulsion means has a propeller or a water jet, wherein a horizontal angle of each propeller or water jet of each engine-powered propulsion means can be independently set in relation to the centerline.

A survival craft for maritime evacuation of passengers and crew members from a vessel or an offshore facility is disclosed. The survival craft has a hull, predominantly made of non-rigid inflatable tubes and one or more shells, the hull has a length, a width and a centerline, a bow and a stern. The survival craft further comprises a first pair of engine-powered propulsion means arranged at the stern on opposite sides of the centerline, and a second pair of engine-powered propulsion means arranged at the bow on opposite sides of the centerline, each engine-powered propulsion means has a propeller or a water jet, wherein a horizontal angle of each propeller or water jet of each engine-powered propulsion means can be independently set in relation to the centerline.

A personal safety flotation device which can be carried on a person for an evacuation requiring entry into a body of water. The personal safety flotation device is for individual use comprising a carrying bag and an inflatable platform which is stowed in the carrying bag in a deflated state. The inflatable platform has a hexagonal shape allowing stability on the water and ability to connect to other inflatable platforms to create a larger surface area. The inflatable platform comprises additional safety features such as an emergency radio beacon, LED lights, light reflective strip, radar reflective pad, rope around a perimeter, and spring hooks for attachment. The carrying bag is attachable to a person and upon entry into a body of water the inflatable platform is automatically inflated with a connected compressed gas cylinder and the inflatable platform remains connected to the carrying bag via a connection strap.