A lifesaving device developed four decades ago is being recognized for its role as a crucial piece of equipment for rescues at sea. A recent article in the Seattle Times highlights the story of the Lifesling, which was developed by sailors to safely retrieve individuals who have fallen overboard and bring them back onto the boat.
In the 1980s, three sailors from the Seattle area—Douglas Fryer, Richard Marshall, and Frederick Hayes—worked together to develop a device that could help save lives at sea by retrieving a person who had fallen overboard regardless of size or weight. Their motivation stemmed from witnessing a series of tragic incidents in which crew members fell overboard, and the remaining crew members, often inexperienced, struggled to rescue them. Recognizing the critical need for a reliable, effective, and accessible method to bring a person back aboard, the trio set out to create a solution.
They formed The Sailing Foundation’s Safety at Sea Committee and spent years researching and testing various rescue techniques. After much trial and error, they developed the Lifesling, an innovative device designed to safely pull a person from the water. The Lifesling features a flotation collar and a hand-over-hand hauling system, making it easier for sailors to retrieve and lift a person back onto the boat, even when the remaining crew member is inexperienced or unable to perform the rescue on their own…