Drowning is a huge global issue which has a tragic and profound impact on families and communities right across the world. According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 236,000 people drown every year, and drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years. 25th July 2021 marked the inaugural World Drowning Prevention Day, following on from the historic UN resolution on Drowning Prevention which was passed during April 2021.
As a business, Ruth Lee Ltd has been involved in water rescue for over 25 years and we are keen to provide products which help rescuers to train realistically, so that they can save more lives. We are always looking to provide innovation and inspiration and after 2 years of research and development, working alongside medical simulation experts Lifecast Body Simulation, we are incredibly proud to have created a ‘world first’ for water rescue training. Introducing the Advanced Water Rescue Manikin…
There’s nothing else like this on the market…
No other rescue manikin provides this level of fidelity or realism, with capabilities to practise rescue skills, coupled with the continuation of care to Hospital and the Intensive Care Unit.
The Advanced Water Rescue manikin floats like an unconscious person but can also be weighted to partially or fully sink to increase the realism of rescue. This lets you similar immersed or submerged drowning scenarios to fully test the skills of your team.
When in water, hydrostatic squeeze closes a valve within the lung mechanics. Once rescued from the water, the mechanism releases, creating the movement of the lungs and chest.
Submerging the manikin creates an amount of water in the oropharynx, the middle part of the throat behind the mouth, which can be removed using manual or suction methods.
The drowning mechanism even allows for the manikin to create “foam” and bubbling noises, replicating pulmonary oedema, a condition commonly seen in people who have drowned.
The manikin has also of the ALS features you’d expect from a Lifecast manikin, including built-in recoil of 4-5cm for effective CPR training. It is an ultra-realistic male form, which can be used to simulate a variety of drowning rescue and resuscitation scenarios.
This patent-pending product is unlike any other manikin available for water rescue. It has been rigorously tested with experts involved in the rescue and resuscitation of patients, including Britain’s elite Military Medical teams (Special Forces), who helped to design and test this revolutionary lifelike manikin as part of intensive training to save lives at sea. It has also been trialled with the RNLI, the Maritime Skills Academy and Outreach Rescue Medical Skills.
Already turning the heads of professionals…
This manikin is a revolutionary product for those involved in water rescues where continuation of care and medical skills acquisition is just as important as the rescue training. More and more, rescuers must also be able to provide enhanced life support and this manikin helps to create a realistic scenario where the drowned casualty can be rescued and medical care begins immediately, and can continue all the way to hospital.
Liz Baugh, who worked for the Royal Navy and is now lead medical consultant at Red Square Medical, which provides medical services for the maritime sector spent some time with the manikin during the rigorous testing phase. She said…
“This manikin enhances our training dramatically not just from the perspective of how it feels to lift a real weight out of the water, but what’s it’s like to resuscitate a realistically feeling body. Because he is so realistic, it adds an additional layer of emotional reaction on top.”
“Bringing this level of realism to my crew is going to enhance their reactions and their responses.”
Watch the full interview with Liz here:
Take your training to the next level…
Unlike anything else available to rescue teams, the Advanced Water Rescue Manikin allows you to accurately simulate the rescue of a drowning victim from the water and then continue with essential medical care once it is pulled into your boat or onto dry land. This lets both rescuers and medical practitioners train more effectively and more quickly, under pressure and in hostile conditions.
The rugged Ruth Lee outer body aids buoyancy in all waters, whether open waters, pools, lakes and rivers. It will float in a drowned position for ultra-realistic rescues.
The torso of the manikin is an ultra-realistic male form, with all the anatomical features you’d expect from a medical simulation manikin for airway management skills. It can be bagged, intubated and simulate a variety of drowning rescue and resuscitation scenarios – a world-first for water rescue training.
A full list of the medical parameters that can be performed with this manikin can be found here.
Designed in collaboration with experts…
The Advanced Water Rescue Manikin is an exciting collaboration between Ruth Lee Ltd and the experts at Lifecast Body Simulation who have been transforming the way medical training is delivered since 2017.
Based at the renowned Elstree Film Studios in London, Lifecast create ultra-realistic high-fidelity manikins for training medical professionals. There was really no one better for us to approach to collaborate with on this manikin.
Creative Director John Schoonraad said:
“Building a torso to fit within the Ruth Lee body was an exciting project, especially because it can transform lifesaving and technical rescue.”
Dave Halliwell, Head of Clinical Design at Lifecast Body Simulation said:
“Working in paramedic care for the last 30 years I’ve been lucky to have been involved with projects that are at the Forefront of Clinical Care.
We have utilised the science of drowning, the physiology of the human body, and our joint knowledge of water rescue to design a new type of manikin. We had the support of some of the greatest medics in the world in our testing and we are excited to see how this product will help to transform drowning training around the world.”
Are you ready to transform the way you train to save lives?
We have already sold this manikin to several British universities, specialist organisations who train the military in North America, coast guards in Europe and expert rescue training organisations.
The Advanced Water Rescue Manikin is available in the UK and worldwide through a network of distributors. If you’re ready to level up your water rescue training please do get in touch with us! UK-based enquires can call 01490 413 282 or email david.walker@ruthlee.com. International enquires are welcome to contact us directly on the above details or speak to your local Ruth Lee distributor, which can be found here.