Hovercraft to the Rescue

Flood Rescue Hovercraft

 Hovercraft to the Rescue

Floods occur on a more frequent basis and with greater severity due to climate change.

Rescue hovercraft compared to boats

Traditionally, boats are used to save victims from drowning, but submerged items like wire fencing, street furniture, and debris (floating rubbish, plastic bags etc) can immobilize a propeller leaving the rescue boat without power. This forces rescuers to wade through sewerage contaminated water risking health.

Hovercraft have no propellers to get snagged, plus have the added advantage of being suitable in shallow water, or areas where fast running water can adversely affect a rescue boat. Hovercraft ride on a cushion of air 8 inches above the surface of the water or land.

Hovercraft can reach victims stuck in mud or quicksand; they can quickly reach victims who may have fallen through the ice. Boats cannot travel over mud, quicksand or ice. Victims of hypothermia need quick rescue and medical treatment, and as they loose mobility, they cannot reach or hold onto life lines. Rescuers should not be exposed to life threatening dangers when attempting to rescue others.

Hovercraft compared to Helicopters

Hovercraft are far more affordable to purchase and operate than helicopters.

Helicopters generate 100 mph down draft winds so require a long winch cable, winch man and operator to reach victims. During floods, many people may need rescue. Flood victims may climb trees and pylons to escape rising waters - helicopters cannot operate by pylons, and cannot see underneath tree cover. During the Tewksbury flood of 2007, a victim died because the rescue helicopter could not locate him below tree cover. Helicopters have poor communications with those on the ground.

Heath considerations

Flood waters are often contaminated with sewerage that can cause water-borne diseases, such as typhoid fever, cholera, leptospirosis and hepatitis A. Also Vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever, yellow fever, and West Nile Fever.

Rescue hovercraft can be airlifted to where required, to deliver essential fresh drinking water, food and medicine.

Larger military hovercraft are usually too large to travel down small roads, situated in the wrong location, need specialist pilots and engineers, and are expensive to purchase and operate. 

Rescue hovercraft are easy to operate, do not need specialist engineers, are affordable to purchase and operate.

For further information, please visit www.hovpod.com and www.rescue-hovercraft.com/

Philippine Floods - Rescue considerations

Philippine Floods – preparing for the next time.

Global warming is here to stay, so government and fire / rescue departments should consider the following problems associated with flood rescues.

Rescue boats are not very practical during floods, hovercraft are far more useful.

Why rescue boats fail during flooding

During the floods in The Philippines, many rescue boats became immobilized due to debris floating in the water interfering with rescue boat propellers.

Flood Rescue Hovercraft

During a flood, expect to negotiate garbage consisting of plastic bags, rice sacks, construction debris, and trash from shopping malls, hardware shops, supermarkets and hospitals. Expect also, raw sewerage.

During a flood, expect fast running water. 

Rescue hovercraft have no propeller to get entangled with floating debris, and hovercraft are not affected by fast running water as they hover about 8 inches above the surface.

Health Problems

Floods also cause sewerage systems to fail, so raw sewerage will be in the water that rescuers have to wade through to reach victims, when their propellers get snagged with garbage.

When floods subside.

Immediately after flooding, there will be an urgent need for medicines and clean, fresh drinking water and food to prevent diseases associated with raw sewerage contamination.

Diseases caused by contact with raw sewerage are caused by pathogens, such as bacteria, parasites, and viruses that can cause a wide range of conditions such as diarrhea and infections, such as mild gastroenteritis, severe fatigue, cholera, and hepatitis. These illnesses can be violent and unpleasant, but mostly pass after several days or weeks with no lasting effects. In some cases, however, pathogens can cause serious long-term illnesses or even death. There also also viruses associated with rodents and cockroaches, viruses from plants and viruses that prey on bacteria. Known viruses detected in raw sewage include norovirus, which causes stomach flu.

For further information, please visit www.hovpod.com and www.rescue-hovercraft.com/

Rescue hovercraft for flood rescue.

The floods in Pakistan have been devastating, and global warming appears to have contributed to widespread problems by in some way affecting the the east to west high altitude jetstream. Sadly, flooding will be more common in future, and authorities are now scrambling to ensure that provisions and food can be quickly transported to areas where the road infrastructure has disappeared.

The new generation of rescue hovercraft are lightweight and nimble and can more easily be transported to areas worse affected by the floods. Rescue hovercraft are more affordable than their larger military hovercraft cousins, and so multiple craft can be deployed over a far greater geographic area. The cost of one rescue hovercraft can be less than the operational costs of one helicopter for one day. See www.rescue-hovercraft.com/

Flood Rescue Equipment

Whilst there is still some debate as to whether global warming is getting worse or not, Hovercraft manufacturer Reaction International Ltd reports a significant year on year increase in sales for rescue hovercraft, as used by the Red Cross during the recent flooding in the UK.

Hovercraft are particularly useful in situations like flooding since hovercraft do not have propellers; apparently, street furniture and wire fencing straddled across farmland can quickly damage boat propellers leaving them immobile, whereas hovercraft float 9 inches above the surface, no problem. Mud and ice rescues are dangerous for rescuers, particularly at this time of year when temperatures are low. Hypothermia can slow mobility and impair judgement to place rescuers in danger - hovercraft can access areas out of bounds to rescue boats.  Rescue boats are pretty useless on mud flats and iced up lakes, and rescuers are often unable to reach victims without putting themselves in serious danger. For further details visit Rescue Hovercraft

Flood Rescue

Hovercraft are more useful in flooding emergencies than other vehicles. Helicopters cost too much to purchase and operate, and their downdraft make operations difficult, especially in areas where there are trees and pylons. Rigid inflatable boats often experience problems with submerged items such as wire fencing and street furniture damaging propellers, minimising their usefulness. Hovercraft can access any flat area, so can be used for flood, mud, sand, ice and snow rescues. Hovercraft such as the Hov Pod are easy to operate, inexpensive to purchase and operate. See www.hovpod.com

Flood Warning - more to come

While some people try to hide their heads in the sand and duck the issue of global warming, the rest of us will have noticed the increased frequency of emergency flooding causing mayhem, death and destruction in many countries.

Rescue organisations have been stretched beyond their limits, and lives have been lost. Global warming is not something that will happen in the future, it is happening now, so the provisions made for flood disaster have to change to deal with the new realities. Fire and rescue services have to check current capability and look for new methods and vehicles to handle flooding, like hovercraft.

Rescue equipment

Amphibious air cushion craft play an important role in reaching victims from areas that other vehicles cannot reach.

Flooded areas tend to have submerged obstacles that can snag a propeller and put RIB boats out of action - for example, wire fences, road signs etc.

Mud and quicksand - ATVs get bogged down in the mud, and rescuers often put their own lives in danger.

Ice and icy water can quickly threaten victims through hypothermia and drowning, so speed is vitally important - snowmobiles fall through thin ice, so here again, hovercraft can act as multi-purpose rescue vehicles.

Fast moving rivers, strong tidal currents can severely hamper rescue operations by boat, whereas air cushion vehicles can reach victims speedily.

The best rescue hovercraft need to be easy to drive, quick to transport by standard vehicle and fast to deploy. They need to be strong, able to withstand punishment, and affordable.

Obama acknowledges global warming threat.

President Obama appears far more sensitive to the threat of global warming, and the impact this has, at enormous cost on areas hit by flooding, mudslides and avalanches.

Many homes have been destroyed or damaged by severe winter weather. Storms have damaged roads, water systems and farms in many districts. That old expression "what goes around, comes around" certainly rings true - greenhouse gases cause massive disruption to families and businesses. Property owners who suffered damage in recent floods seek substantial compensation. Although floods waters only rise in certain areas, insurance premiums are set to rise everywhere. After the recession, when people buy cars in future, perhaps they will consider the environment before their ego; unless gas guzzlers become history, we might all head that way.