Rescue Hovercraft

About Hov Pod Rescue Hovercraft

In rescue situations, time is important. Hov Pod rescue hovercraft are designed to be easy to transport by conventional trailer towed by standard car – no need for expensive transporters or police escorts; when time is critical, the ability to get to where help is needed fast makes all the difference between rescue or recovery. In tests conducted with safety organisations, we have introduced a number of

Hov Pod commercial hovercraft options to suit different configurations to meet the various requests we have received from fire, police, rescue and other commercial organisations.

We have just released a new version of the Hov Pod Hovercraft that we think could play a valuable and important role in rescue, in situations where larger hovercraft are restricted by access.

Constructed from High Density PE, far stronger, more buoyant than glass fibre. Can load, unload from trailer in 30 seconds, and easily transportable by standard car to reach rescue victims. No expensive transporters required or police escorts, so you can quickly travel to the victims by road. Easy to use, quick to deploy, to reach flash flooded areas, or to reach mud and ice/ hypothermia victims when time is critical.

Operators can be trained in less than one day.

Features include:

Anti plough system, good on water start characteristics.

New 120 HP Turbo 4 stroke engineSufficient power to take driver, paramedic and victim.Wide range of rescue options, such as search lights, lifting points, GPS/VHF Radio mountings, etc

Hov Pod SPX Rescue Hovercraft Spec Sheet

http://www.scribd.com/doc/25777810/Hov-Pod-SPX-Rescue-Hovercraft-Specification-Sheet

Hov Pod SPX Rescue Hovercraft Specification Sheet

Rescue Uses

 

Hov Pod Rescues Kayaker

 

Rescue Hovercraft

Hovercraft are very useful for quickly reaching areas out of bounds to boats. Boats are restricted by mud, sand and ice, so when a victim falls through thin ice, rescuers are often faced with exposing themselves to extreme danger to reach their victims. Hypothermia can immobilize victims and restrict movement, so it is not so easy to grab a lifeline. Ice and mud rescue requires a fast response, and victims need to be reached before they sucumb to the cold or risk of drowning. Rescuers should not be expected to place their own lives at risk - having the right equipment available at the right location and time can make all the difference between rescue or body recovery.

Hov Pod Hovercraft to the Rescue

Auckland Airport used their Hov Pod Rescue Hovercraft to rescue a kayaker who got into difficulties in New Zealand. Rescue Boats were unable to reach the victim, so Auckland Airport helped save the victim. See full report here - Auckland Airport Hov Pod Rescues Kayaker

Flood Rescue Equipment

Whilst there is still some debate as to whether global warming is getting worse or not, Hovercraft manufacturer Reaction International Ltd reports a significant year on year increase in sales for rescue hovercraft, as used by the Red Cross during the recent flooding in the UK.

Hovercraft are particularly useful in situations like flooding since hovercraft do not have propellers; apparently, street furniture and wire fencing straddled across farmland can quickly damage boat propellers leaving them immobile, whereas hovercraft float 9 inches above the surface, no problem. Mud and ice rescues are dangerous for rescuers, particularly at this time of year when temperatures are low. Hypothermia can slow mobility and impair judgement to place rescuers in danger - hovercraft can access areas out of bounds to rescue boats.  Rescue boats are pretty useless on mud flats and iced up lakes, and rescuers are often unable to reach victims without putting themselves in serious danger.

Flood Rescue

When the bridges have all been knocked down by the floods, and you need to make a 20 mile round trip to visit the corner shop, time to invest in a personal hovercraft.

Hovercraft have one major advantage over rescue boats, they have no propeller to snag onto submerged obstacles. Flooded ground in the country has the occasional wire fence to navigate, whereas streets have all manner of submerged obstacles to spoil a prop, e.g. street furniture, parking meters, street signs etc.

Hovercraft can also save lives when it comes to mud rescue, ice rescue or sand rescue, boats don't work too well over solid land and in shallow waters - ice rescue is particularly dangerous for rescue personnel, since hypothermia can affect a victim's / rescuer's mobility after 10 minutes of exposure to extreme cold.  

New Hov Pod SPX Rescue Hovercraft

Hovercraft can reach victims of flooding, mud, sand, ice situations far faster than possible with boats or Jet Skis. The new Hov Pod SPX rescue hovercraft is rugged, exceptional buoyant, and available with choice of engine and options to suit all rescue applications. Flooding creates problems for boats, particularly in areas where submerged obstacles, e.g. wire fences, and street furniture can damage propellers. Ice victims suffer from hypothermia; mud/sand victims become trapped and difficult to reach. Hovercraft allow paramedics to quickly reach victims, without jeopardizing the health and safety of rescuers. Hovercraft can quickly transport victims directly along the shore or riverbank to waiting medical relief. 

 

Severe Weather - Flood Rescue

Forecasters are predicting severe weather today in the Mississippi area, with possible flash flooding requiring flood rescue teams to be on standby.

Global warming pundits have been warning us for years that flash floods, and severe storms will become more frequent in future. When you receive a weather warning, check the Internet for flood advice and flood prevention.  Flood damage can be especially devastating, not only in terms of costs but also from the truama victims go through. Rescue teams are now reassessing what equipment they need to respond to flood rescue. Small hovercraft enable fire crews to reach flooding victims quickly, without the problem of snagging propellers on submerged debris, street furniture and wire fences beneath the water line. 

Flood Rescue

Hovercraft are more useful in flooding emergencies than other vehicles. Helicopters cost too much to purchase and operate, and their downdraft make operations difficult, especially in areas where there are trees and pylons. Rigid inflatable boats often experience problems with submerged items such as wire fencing and street furniture damaging propellers, minimising their usefulness. Hovercraft can access any flat area, so can be used for flood, mud, sand, ice and snow rescues. Hovercraft such as the Hov Pod are easy to operate, inexpensive to purchase and operate.

 

Flood Warning - more to come

While some people try to hide their heads in the sand and duck the issue of global warming, the rest of us will have noticed the increased frequency of emergency flooding causing mayhem, death and destruction in many countries.

Rescue organisations have been stretched beyond their limits, and lives have been lost. Global warming is not something that will happen in the future, it is happening now, so the provisions made for flood disaster have to change to deal with the new realities. Fire and rescue services have to check current capability and look for new methods and vehicles to handle flooding, like hovercraft. 

Rescue equipment

Amphibious air cushion craft play an important role in reaching victims from areas that other vehicles cannot reach.

Flooded areas tend to have submerged obstacles that can snag a propeller and put RIB boats out of action - for example, wire fences, road signs etc.

Mud and quicksand - ATVs get bogged down in the mud, and rescuers often put their own lives in danger.

Ice and icy water can quickly threaten victims through hypothermia and drowning, so speed is vitally important - snowmobiles fall through thin ice, so here again, hovercraft can act as multi-purpose rescue vehicles.

Fast moving rivers, strong tidal currents can severely hamper rescue operations by boat, whereas air cushion vehicles can reach victims speedily.

The best rescue hovercraft need to be easy to drive, quick to transport by standard vehicle and fast to deploy. They need to be strong, able to withstand punishment, and affordable. 

 

Rescue Hovercraft

Hovercraft make ideal rescue craft in areas where victims might succumb to drowning, in coastal areas, fast running rivers, tidal mud areas, quicksand, ice covered lakes etc.

Rescue boats are very limited in many areas - shallow water, mud, sand, ice. In floods, boat propellers often get damaged by underwater obstructions such as wire fences and gates etc - hovercraft have no such problems as they do not have contact with the water.

Snowmobiles are very dangerous on lakes with thin ice - hovercraft fly above the solid or fluid surfaces, so are good to reach victims in dangerous and cold climates where the risk of drowning or hypothermia can be high. 

 

Hovercraft Rescue

Whether global warming is due to natural causes, or man's intervention is open for debate, however the effects of global warming are clear to see.

Hovercraft are very useful for rescue from flooding areas where underwater obstacles might snag conventional boat propellers.

Hovercraft are able to reach victims who fall through thin ice, or get stuck in mud or sand. When ice thins, best to park the snowmobile away for another season, hovercraft offer a far safer way to travel. 

 

Obama acknowledges global warming threat.

President Obama appears far more sensitive to the threat of global warming, and the impact this has, at enormous cost on areas hit by flooding, mudslides and avalanches.

Many homes have been destroyed or damaged by severe winter weather. Storms have damaged roads, water systems and farms in many districts. That old expression "what goes around, comes around" certainly rings true - greenhouse gases cause massive disruption to families and businesses. Property owners who suffered damage in recent floods seek substantial compensation. Although floods waters only rise in certain areas, insurance premiums are set to rise everywhere. After the recession, when people buy cars in future, perhaps they will consider the environment before their ego; unless gas guzzlers become history, we might all head that way. 

Rescue Hovercraft

Hovercraft are very useful in rescue operations. In flooded areas, boats with conventional propellers can face problems with submerged obstacles, such as a wire fence.

With mud, quicksand or ice rescue, boats cannot reach victims, and rescuers face all sorts of problems reaching victims. If someone has fallen through thin ice, rescue parties have to ensure that they do not also fall victim to thin ice, this would make a terrible situation worse.

In cold conditions, hypothermia is a major problem so the rescue party has to reach the victim as quickly as possible, speed is important.

Fire departments and rescue organizations need quick access in tidal, flooded and icy lake conditions - and proper investment requires forward planning to ensure that suitable craft are available and easy to use. 

 

 

The Red Cross have taken delivery of their rescue hovercraft, the Hov Pod SPX customised to meet their specific rescue and communications requirements.

The hovercraft hull is Hov Pod Rescue Orange - a special colour to designate rescue craft

operation. The Red Cross were very happy with the very warm reception this craft received during it's press debut in Scotland October 4th The Hovercraft has been brought in to help Highland rescuers.

It will be used in flooded areas, on frozen lochs, sand bars and mud flats.

The vessel Greer, named from Old Scots meaning watchful or valiant, was unveiled by the Red Cross and is based in Inverness. Operations director Ian Rideout said: "A big issue for us is shallow, fast-moving water where we can't launch a boat. The hovercraft is totally unaffected." 

 

Ice Rescue by Hovercraft

Hovercraft are very useful for saving victims who have fallen through ice.

Hov Pod handles rapids & weirs

 

 

 

New Rescue Hovercraft

Hov Pod announce the release of their latest rescue hovercraft, the Hov Pod SPX Turbo charged 120HP model fitted with 4 stroke engine. This rescue hovercraft will be very useful for rescue crews operating in flooded areas to reach flood victims, where speed and access to flooded areas require rapid response.