Life-saving Bazooka wins James Dyson Award

In a situation where there is a drowning victim, having a boat nearby doesn’t always help. In fact, the drowning victim’s life usually hinges on the strength and accuracy of someone’s throwing arm. Here is a better way to throw a precious life-ring: shoot it with this bazooka.


I have a video of the Longreach after the jump so you can see the basic concept. Some of you might be wondering how it is possible to shoot this giant bullet that can magically transform into a floating device, but it uses hydrophobic or rapidly expanding foam. With a range of 150 meters, the victim can hold on until he or she receives the proper help.


The Longreach is designed to be small enough to fit into a boat’s compartments, and easy enough to use with printed instructions on it. It looks like you have two shots make the target, and it looks like fast reloading is an option. The Longreach is equipped with Para-Flares for night-time illumination.


As stated in the title of this post, the designer of the Lifereach, Samuel Adeloju, has been awarded $15,900 for his efforts. His life-saving idea beat out 14 finalists.


Right now, Longreach is in the prototype and testing stage, but should start field trials with Surf Life Saving NSW in Australia in the next few months.