A toddler can drown in the time it takes to answer the phone. The Safety Turtle system includes a locking wristband, designed in the shape of a colourful turtle that is worn on the child's wrist. The wristband instantly detects immersion in water and sends a radio signal to a base station in the home, sounding a loud alarm. The Safety Turtle is designed so that rain and spray from lawn sprinklers won't trigger the alarm, but a toddler wading into a pool or lake will.
The best protection against such a tragedy is the constant supervision by the parent or adult. Homeowners should also secure their swimming pool, ideally with a four-sided pool safety fence with self-latching gate.
Inventor Bob Lyons, President of Terrapin Communications Inc. of Ottawa, Ont., has won a prestigious $10,000 Manning Innovation Award, sponsored by Noranda Inc., for his safety innovation that is helping to protect children, seniors, disabled persons and even pets from drowning. Lyons, who has a PhD from Carleton University in Ottawa, has 25 years' experience developing analog and digital communications systems and products.