The inventor of a unique life-saving throw-line is concerned that lives are being lost by drowning unnecessarily because fire and rescue teams do not have appropriate safety equipment even though his tested and proven throw-line is available.

Inventor of the device John Rinfret said he was very concerned to read of the drowning of a man in a frozen Northamptonshire lake where the fire & rescue team who attended the emergency had to watch the man drown because their throw line in the form of a throw-bag was not long enough to reach him.  It was the incorrect line to use because it was inappropriate being designed for swift water rescue where strength rather than length is necessary, according to Rinfret.  It was only 20 metres in length. 

The team manager told the Coroner this was the type of line recommended by his national safety advisors and now used by most rescue organisations throughout the UK. Rinfret understands that these advisors had strongly recommended against the use of BELLs and he says he finds it illogical because even the national trials of 2007 by ROSPA confirmed throw-bags were very difficult to throw with accuracy more than 12-15 metres!

Upon hearing of this drowning tragedy Rinfret sent full details about the BELL to the Northamptonshire Coroner in January and was duly advised this had been passed for comment to the manger of the rescue team.  According to Rinfret his reply was full of obvious errors.  Recently the Coroner advised Rinfret that she had already given her verdict of "Accidental Death" last October.

Rinfret is very concerned about this matter because as he now believes that until he sent the information about the BELL the Coroner was unaware about it and none of the safety experts whom she would have consulted cared to tell her anything about the merit of the BELL. 

He is concerned because several years ago Balcan sought Counsel's opinion about employers' liability when a drowning occurs out of reach of the available lifesaving equipment. The Opinion stated that if the circumstances of the drowning could have been foreseen to show the available lifesaving equipment was inadequate and if other more suitable equipment was readily available on the market with say a more accurate or longer reach, then a liability could be established.

"There maybe implications which could potentially affect individuals responsible for ensuring authorities and organisations have the most suitable safety equipment available under the provision of the Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act which became law in 2008," said Rinfret. The Act clarifies the criminal liabilities of companies including large organisations where serious failures in the management of health and safety result in a fatality.

"I am very concerned that BELLs have not been recommended by national safety advisors for use by fire and rescue authorities and it begs the question why have national safety advisors recommended county fire & rescue teams to reduce their range of rescue to 20 metres when they could have used a line with a proven 40 metres reach? As a result more people can be expected to die by drowning," said Rinfret.

"I am concerned that by recommending and using short lines there will be a greater number of deaths by drowning that could have been avoided if only the victims were able to be rescued by the much longer reach of the remarkable BELL."

John Rinfret invented the BELL throw line, a device that allowed anyone to throw it to the best of their ability up to its full length of 40 metres back in 1973. As a result it was immediately recognised as a vast improvement on all traditional lifesaving equipment because it was able to reach drowning victims at much greater distances than had previously been possible. Since that date it has achieved rescues at distances and in circumstances impossible to have achieved with other modern manual devices.

Furthermore In 2000 BELLs underwent trials by Naval Support Command and subsequently allocated NATO Stock Numbers (NSNs) by the Royal Navy who assessed them SUPERIOR to all other lifesaving equipment tested, being easier to use with a much more accurate longer reach with adequate strength of 118kgs as internationally specified for the quoits & line used in lifeboats and liferafts. As a result BELLs are now widely used through the MoD and were previously used in the Falklands conflict.

Reports of actual rescues have confirmed BELLs are as useful for private individuals to use as by professional rescue teams, according to Rinfret.

"Because emergencies can occur at any distance from safety it is logical that potential rescuers should have versatile equipment readily at hand to use just as quickly as they need to use it. It is also essential that equipment is capable of use by anyone without the need for prior training," said Rinfret

"The harsh reality is that some rescue attempts are failing because rescuers do not have the right equipment and lives are being lost. I believe it is very much better to achieve successful rescues rather than drownings due to inadequate equipment," said Rinfret.

The BELL is the only throwing line to be certificated internationally for use at sea by both Bureau Veritas and the MCA (Maritime Coastguard Agency) as well as the United States Coast Guard, according to Balcan.

The plastic capsule in which the line is packed is bright orange in colour so it can be easily seen on the surface of the water and remains distinctive from the recently introduced yellow coloured shorter 25 metres version. Both allow the capsule to be repeatably thrown at the time of the rescue attempt and to be easily repacked for storage purposes. It has to be recognised that repacking a long line takes longer than packing a short line.

"The principle of the BELL throw line is simple, to increase the chances of a successful rescue by allowing faster and easier contact with victims at the greatest possible distance before they are swept out of reach," said John Rinfret.

In a bid to once again draw attention to the merits and the importance of the BELL as an essential life-saving tool, Balcan has produced a new leaflet which it is circulating to Fire & Rescue teams, Constabularies and other relevant authorities.