Floater is going to change the water rescue game

SANTA BARBARA, California, May 25, 2017. — The new flotation suit developed by Airtime Watertime® is going to “change the whole rescue game,” according to Gabriel Swan, 2016 lifeguard champion for Puerto Rico and current head lifeguard at Condado Beach in San Juan. 

The Floater® designed by Airtime Watertime® allows swimmers and lifeguards to swim twice as fast with half the effort because of the patented design that gives added buoyancy.

Mark Okrusko, surfer-turned-inventor and owner of Airtime Watertime®, stated, “The suit was originally created to be a surfing aid, but the more I tested it, the more applications started to pop up from recreational water use, to helping the handicapped, to water and ocean rescue.” 

Swan, who is also a lifeguard trainer, believes the Floater is a great tool because of the support it offers lifeguards and the speed the suit provides. “I feel more confident grabbing someone,” Swan said, adding, “If I'm doing a rescue and I need to swim out to a victim, I can reach them twice as fast.”

Swan knows how important this new technology is for saving lives because he has performed over 300 water rescues in his 15 years as a competitive lifeguard. At Condado Beach—where he started the organization Surfers 2 the Rescue to protect local swimmers and tourists—volunteer lifeguards rescue one person every 3.5 days on average and have had 5 rescues on some extreme days.

Swan thinks every water agency should have a Floater®. “I recommend every fire department, every swim agency, any lifeguard agency, water park, aquatics facility—Everybody needs one,” said Swan.

Watch this Airtime Watertime video featuring Gabriel Swan for more on how the Floater® can help in water rescue.