– If we hadn’t had the balloons, the boat would have simply gone down. Coxswain Johan Johannesen on the lifeboat Sundt Flyer in Svolvær tells about an incident in March this year. They received a report of a 35-foot boat that had run aground at high speed. When the lifeboat towed the boat off the ground, it became clear that the boat had large leaks and could sink. On board the lifeboat, they had just received new equipment. The crew placed the yellow bags from Antisink in several places in the sinking boat. The bags were blown up into yellow balloons which helped the crew keep the boat afloat. They were able to tow the boat to the quay. – Even without experience, it was efficient and easy to use. This makes a difficult operation much easier and cheaper, says Johannesen. More people are using the balloons In addition to the Rescue Company, several Red Cross skates have had the balloons on board. They are also used by the fire and rescue services in several large cities. – If someone is trapped in a boat and you can raise it quickly with the balloons, they can save lives, says Johannesen. Since the launch, the yellow balloons have saved boats from sinking in several places in the country. Without the balloons, the boats would probably have ended up at the bottom of the sea. Then the boats would have had to be raised afterwards, explains Johannsen. – It will take a fairly large operation with both barges and diving crews to get it up again. It saves both the environment and costs, he says. Jonas Johannsen is coxswain on the lifeboat Sundt Flyer in Svolvær. They have put Antisink’s balloons to good use. Photo: private Wants to save lives The company Antisink in Kristiansand is behind the invention. According to the company, which also sells similar balloons for recreational vessels, the aim is to help ensure that no one dies at sea. – First and foremost, we want to save lives. The environment comes second, says Christian Karlsen Skeie in Antisink. Antisink commercial manager Christian Karlsen Skeie hopes that the invention can save lives. Photo: Eirik Rognaldsen / news Founder Geir Karlsen is behind the invention. He himself knows several people who have lost the battle against the forces of the sea. At the age of 16, he sailed as a sailor. In the Bermuda Triangle, the boat he modeled on came out before a hurricane. This also hit an Israeli cargo boat. Karlsen and his colleagues managed to save 14 people from the cargo boat, while 13 people died. Founder Geir Karlsen in Antisink has lost several acquaintances at sea. Photo: Mathias Hamre / news Karlsen also ran a general store for many years. Then he transported goods out to cottagers and permanent residents. He experienced that people he had sat on the pier and talked to one day were gone the next day. – Their boat sank and they froze to death on the sea. The fact that people were lying in the sea and freezing to death was the reason why I came up with this, he told news during a demonstration last year. On its way abroad In addition to being used by Norwegian rescue services, the invention is attracting interest abroad. The company is in the process of finalizing an agreement with DSS Protection in Canada, which, among other things, supplies equipment to the Canadian Coast Guard. – This is a system that definitely has international potential, says Skeie. The fire service uses the balloons to save a boat that was sinking at the quay in Trondheim. Photo: Trondheim Fire and Rescue
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Rescue balloon from Antisink can save lives at sea – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
