A lifebuoy or life ring, among many other names (see § Other names), is a life-saving

buoy A buoy (; ) is a buoyancy, floating device that can have many purposes. It can be anchored (stationary) or allowed to drift with ocean currents. History The ultimate origin of buoys is unknown, but by 1295 a seaman's manual referred to navig ...

designed to be thrown to a person in water to provide

buoyancy Buoyancy (), or upthrust, is the force exerted by a fluid opposing the weight of a partially or fully immersed object (which may be also be a parcel of fluid). In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of t ...

and prevent

drowning Drowning is a type of Asphyxia, suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Submersion injury refers to both drowning and near-miss incidents. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where othe ...

. Some modern lifebuoys are fitted with one or more seawater-activated lights to aid rescue at night.

Other names

Other names for "lifebuoy" include: * life-preserver * life ring * life-ring * life-belt * life-saver * ring-buoy * donut * safety wheel * Perry buoy * Kisbee ring

Description

The lifebuoy is usually a ring- or horseshoe-shaped

personal flotation device A personal flotation device (PFD; also referred to as a life jacket, life preserver, life belt, Mae West, life vest, life saver, cork jacket, buoyancy aid or flotation suit) is a flotation device in the form of a vest or suit that is worn by a u ...

with a connecting line allowing the casualty to be pulled to the rescuer in a boat. They are carried by ships and boats and located beside bodies of water and swimming pools. In the United States, Coast Guard approved lifebuoys are considered Type IV personal flotation devices. At least one Type IV PFD is required on all vessels 26 feet or more in length. In the UK the Royal Life Saving Society considers lifebuoys unsuitable for use in swimming pools because throwing one into a busy pool could injure the casualty or other pool users. In these locations, lifebuoys have been superseded by devices such as the torpedo buoy, a low-drag device developed to be towed by lifeguards to those in danger.

History

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

sketched a concept for a safety wheel, as well as for buoyant shoes and balancing sticks for walking on water. According to various sources the

Knights of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic Church, Cathol ...

were the first to use cork lifebuoys on their ships. In the book ''Architectura naval antigua y moderna'' (1752) by Juan José Navarro, 1st Marquess of Victoria, two plates show "circular lifebuoys" and another plate includes a drawing of "a lifebuoy made of cork", called "salvenos". This is the type used systematically by the Knights of Malta on their ships. The lifebuoy was attached to a rope on one side and to the poop of the ship on the other, so that it may be deployed in case anyone should fall into the sea. Navarro was Captain General of the Navy and is credited with the systematic introduction of the lifebuoy on all ships of the Spanish navy. In 1803, a device called the "Marine Spencer" from the name of its inventor, Knight Spencer of Bread Street, was described in the

Philosophical Magazine The ''Philosophical Magazine'' is one of the oldest scientific journals published in English. It was established by Alexander Tilloch in 1798;John Burnett"Tilloch, Alexander (1759–1825)" Dictionary of National Biography#Oxford Dictionary of ...

. It was made of "800 old tavern corks" affixed to a band, "covered in canvass, and painted in oil, so as to render it waterproof." The invention gained Spencer the honorary silver medal from the

Royal Humane Society The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in 1774 as the ''Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned'', for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning. Hi ...

. Leonardo da Vinci, lifebelt (cropped).jpg,

's design sketches for a safety wheel File:Acta Eruditorum - II medicina, 1691 – BEIC 13350590.jpg, First studies on the lifebuoy illustrated in the ''

Acta Eruditorum (from Latin: ''Acts of the Erudite'') was the first scientific journal of the German-speaking lands of Europe, published from 1682 to 1782. History ''Acta Eruditorum'' was founded in 1682 in Leipzig by Otto Mencke, who became its first edit ...

'', 1691 File:Illustration of the "Marine Spencer", a lifebuoy prototype from 1803.jpg, Illustration of the prototype of the "Marine Spencer", an early example of lifebuoy, from the Philosophical Magazine, 1803

Gallery

USCGC Eagle life preserver.JPG, Commercial use lifebuoy aboard Aqualiner_Aanlegplaats_Reddingboei.JPG, Containered lifebuoy with concealed rope "Life ring" in Newport Beach.JPG, Containered lifebuoy in Newport Beach, California Lifebuoy-Thames.jpg, Containered lifebuoy by the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

Lifebelt Commander British Forces Malta MMM.jpg, Older style of lifebuoy File:Frost-covered lifebuoy, Lake Siskiyou.jpg, Frost-covered lifebuoy, Lake Siskiyou, California File:Lifebuoy in Ireland.jpg, Lifebuoy in Ireland File:Lifering on beach.jpg, Lifebuoy on a beach File:Tutjusaaristo.jpg, Lifebuoy at Tutjuniemi of Saaristo Harbour in

Liperi Liperi () is a municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. It is located in the North Karelia regions of Finland, region. Liperi is a community of () with the growth rate of 83 newcomers in 11 months in 2007. The population density is . T ...

North Karelia North Karelia (or ''Northern Karelia'', ; ) is a region in eastern Finland. It borders the regions of Kainuu, North Savo, South Savo and South Karelia, as well as Russia's Republic of Karelia. It is the easternmost region of Finland and share ...

, Finland

References

External links