A new bracelet for fishermen will save lives at sea.

A new bracelet full of technology is set to help achieve the goal of zero deaths among fishermen.

An alarm goes off in the control room of the fishing boat Vestfart in Bremanger. The screen flashes red. “We now have a man overboard, and we immediately see who it is and where he is,” says Ronny Bakke, CEO of Dimeq. The Bremanger company has developed a bracelet that can instantly register when someone falls into the sea.

The bracelet and technology are unique in Norway, and the company was accepted into Equinor and Techstars’ accelerator program as one of nine companies last year. FOTO: NIKOLAI AKSE HELGÅS / NRK

The system, which was launched in November, is made for and by seamen. “We have experienced a man overboard situation ourselves, and it took three hours before we found out. That’s too late,” says Bakke.

The bracelet they have developed will contribute to the goal of zero lost lives and severe injuries among fishermen.

An accelerator triggers the system in the bracelet that registers when someone falls off the boat. The captain receives the signal within a second. FOTO: OLE KRISTIAN SVALHEIM / NRK

Fishermen are particularly exposed to accidents and fatalities at work. Coastal fishermen are especially at risk. Worldwide, 22,000 fishermen die each year. According to the Norwegian Maritime Directorate, nearly half of the maritime accidents in Norway in the past decade have been due to falls.

The trend is increasing; in the past year, 83% of accidents off the Norwegian coast were due to people falling overboard.

In the past five years, 24 people have died after falling from a boat. FOTO: NIKOLAI AKSE HELGÅS / NRK

This led the Norwegian Parliament, led by fisherman Olve Grotle, to adopt a goal of zero accidents at sea earlier this year.

“We can no longer accept fatalities and serious injuries in the fishing industry,” says the MP from Bremanger.

The bracelet can also show where the crew is on the boat in an emergency situation, such as a fire. In addition, the crew can send a distress signal to the control room if they are in danger.

“We are now targeting to deliver a solid product to the Norwegian market before we eventually start looking towards Europe,”

says the CEO of Dimeq.

In the event of a fire, the captain can quickly get an overview of the crew on the boat. FOTO: OLE KRISTIAN SVALHEIM / NRK

Source article and Norwegian version: https://www.nrk.no/vestland/armband-skal-redde-liv-til-sjos-1.16235610