Media Articles and Coverage

Prevent Accidental Drowning with High-Tech Safety
High-Tech Home
By Jason Working
Sunday, August 20,2006,

Florida is a consistent leader in accidental drownings - not a happy distinction. Only Alaska and Hawaii have higher rates. But when you factor in age, Florida makes a disturbing leap to the top. Among unintentional drownings of toddlers (ages 1 to 4), Florida is first. So how can you keep your children safe?

Here are a couple of high-tech solutions:

The Safety Turtle - Looking like a toy version of a wristwatch, when a child is immersed in water, the Safety Turtle wristband sends a wireless signal up to 100 feet away, activating an alarm at a base station inside the home.

So what keeps kids from just removing the Safety Turtle wristband? A locking mechanism on the wristband, to which parents hold the key. Thus, this potential lifesaver can't be slipped off.

The main advantage is that it stays with your kid. If he or she falls into the water - whether a pool, a bathtub, pond or whatever - as long as you have plugged in the alarm base within 100 feet, the Safety Turtle will alert you.

Plus, the kid-friendly design makes it seem like a toy, so your children are less likely to complain when you attach the device to them.

Another advantage: The Safety Turtle's price, compared to some other pool-safety systems. Starting at about $160, the Safety Turtle is a portable alternative to in-pool alarm installations. Visit www.saferyturtle.com to find out more.

SonarGuard - Another option for pool safety is the SonarGuard system. It provides a "sonar net" that trips an alarm when a child falls into your pool.

To prevent sounding off in the middle of the night, SonarGuard's manufacturer says the device can tell the difference between a child falling into the pool and something less alarming making its way in - like, say, a basketball or a bullfrog.

SonarGuard can be installed in new or existing in-ground pools and sells for around $5,000. Visit www.sonarguard.com to see what SonarGuard can do for your backyard "watering hole."

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