A new device introduced by the RNLI in Britain and endorsed by Irish Water Safety could contribute to saving fishermen's lives at sea. The "MOB Guardian" (as in "man overboard") is a satellite-based alert system which can be worn by individual crew. It has already had a trial run on 100 British fishing vessels.
The device consists of a base unit, and crew personal safety devices (PSDs) worn around the neck. The base unit automatically transmits regular updates on a vessel's position, course and speed by satellite to the RNLI's monitoring station. If a regular update is missed, the monitoring station tries to regain contact with the boat, and eventually a search can be initiated.
If a fisherman wearing a PSD falls into the water, an alert is raised within two minutes. The RNLI estimates that between 20 and 30 fishermen die each year in British waters, and has organised subsidies to ensure the new device, retailing at £1,800 (€2,687), costs just £100 (€149) plus VAT for fishing crews.