Lifebuoy

A lifebuoy is a life-saving buoy designed to be thrown to a person in water to provide buoyancy and prevent drowning.[1] Some modern lifebuoys are fitted with one or more seawater-activated lights to aid rescue at night.

For other uses, see Lifebuoy (disambiguation).
Lifebuoy with emergency light on a cruise ship
A lifebuoy floating on water

Other names

Other names for "lifebuoy" include:

  • life preserver
  • life ring,[2]
  • lifering
  • lifesaver
  • ring buoy
  • donut
  • safety wheel
  • Perry buoy
  • Kisbee ring[3]

Description

The lifebuoy is usually a ring- or horseshoe-shaped personal flotation device 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. To prevent vandalism, they are protected by fines (up to £5,000 in the United Kingdom) or imprisonment.

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.[4]

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 In these locations, lifebuoys have been superseded by devices such as the torpedo buoy,[5] a low-drag device developed to be towed by lifeguards to those in danger.

Leonardo da Vinci sketched a concept for a safety wheel, as well as for buoyant shoes and balancing sticks for walking on water.[6]

  • Commercial use lifebuoy aboard USCGC Eagle
    Commercial use lifebuoy aboard USCGC Eagle
  • Containered lifebuoy with concealed rope
    Containered lifebuoy with concealed rope
  • Containered lifebuoy in Newport Beach, California
    Containered lifebuoy in Newport Beach, California
  • Containered lifebuoy by the River Thames
    Containered lifebuoy by the River Thames
  • Older style of lifebuoy
    Older style of lifebuoy
  • Lifebuoy in Ireland
    Lifebuoy in Ireland
  • Lifebuoy on a beach
    Lifebuoy on a beach
  • Lifebuoy at Tutjuniemi of Saaristo Harbour in Liperi, North Karelia, Finland
    Lifebuoy at Tutjuniemi of Saaristo Harbour in Liperi, North Karelia, Finland

See also

References
  1. "The Kisbee Ring". Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  2. "Boat Life Rings, Ring Buoys". Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  3. "The Kisbee Ring". Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  4. "46 CFR 25.25-5 Life Preservers and Other Lifesaving Equipment".
  5. The Lifeguard. IQL UK Ltd. ISBN 1905008120.
  6. Wallace, Robert (1972) [1966]. The World of Leonardo: 1452–1519. New York: Time-Life Books. pp. 106–07.
  • Media related to Lifebuoys at Wikimedia Commons
  • The dictionary definition of life jacket at Wiktionary
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