Lifeline for lost divers

The Nautilus Lifeline is a marine radio and GPS alert beacon all in one, offering protection against being lost at sea.

We all know that feeling of surfacing and not seeing surface cover. Hopefully, for most of us the boat is soon in view – but were it not, it’d be reassuring to know there’s an effective way to call for help.

an effective way to call for help

Step forward Mike Lever of Canada, who developed the Lifeline after 20 years of experience operating liveaboard dive vessels. Mike saw a need for a tool that could allow divers to communicate with their boats in order to prevent drifting.

It all started when Mike and the Nautilus Explorer crew took part in a search and rescue for a fellow who had fallen off the back of a fishing boat in Alaska.  Tragically, the man wasn’t found, and Mike took the first steps towards inventing the Lifeline with input from a few very close (highly skilled) friends and acquaintances.

The Lifeline is a sturdy and durable waterproof handset that can be clipped unobtrusively onto your rig. It has a standard marine radio to call up the boat, as well as an orange button Channel 16 for Pan-Pans and Mayday calls. The third red button triggers an electronic alert and broadcasts GPS co-ordinates to nearby radio systems.

Unlike some marine products that cross over, the Lifeline radio was intended for divers from the outset. This remained Mike’s primary focus for more than 20 years, but he realised that the Lifeline could help save the lives of other watersport enthusiasts.

On sale since October 2011, the Lifeline has sold more than 9,000 units worldwide.

Nautilus regularly receives testimonials regularly about how the Lifeline has got folks back on board their boats and back in the hottub. Hundreds more are estimated to go without testimonial because the situation is made a ‘non-situation’ when a diver, paddler, or surfer speaks directly with a host boat or nearby fishing vessel.