VideoRay
Swimming Video Camera Finds Body of Drowned Guard in South Africa
New ROV for search and rescue
helps police quickly locate body underwater
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Exton, Penna., August 22, 2000 – VideoRay, Inc. announced
today that its swimming video camera helped locate the body of
a security guard who was washed to sea in Cape Town, South Africa
in August. The guard drowned while trying to save a German visitor
who had been knocked into the water by a large wave. The VideoRay
located the body in just 40 minutes after seven divers attempted
to find the body.
During the two weeks prior to the incident, the Cape and Cape Town
had been lashed with heavy rain and gale force winds. The sea was
extremely rough and unpredictable. A German visitor and his family
were walking on the water break when a large wave knocked him off
and into the sea. A security guard dove into the sea to rescue
the man. Although he was able to get the man onto the rocks to
safety, the guard was swept away from the rocks. The rough sea
and pounding waves and wind forced the security guard below the
surface.
Seven divers attempted to retrieve the body before it was located
by VideoRay, operated by Graham Hoal. However, due to the waves
and delay in the start of the search, the divers were unsure where
the search should begin. The Water Wing of the police agreed to
let Hoal of Cape Town use the VideoRay as long as it did not affect
police efforts. The VideoRay was submerged, and about 40 minute
later, the image of guard’s body was seen on the surface
monitor of the VideoRay system. The divers followed VideoRay’s
tether to the location of the body. Closure for the family and
port authorities was achieved just one day after the terrible incident.
“
The lives of two people were lost, and that is a tragedy,” said
Hoal. “However, the VideoRay was able to help the police
find the body without risking the life of divers. That is a breakthrough
for search and rescue missions.” Hoal is the president of
PentaTech cc. of Cape Town, South Africa, a distributor of the
VideoRay swimming video camera in Southern Africa. Hoal heard about
the incident while driving and raced to the scene to assist.
Costing a fraction of the price of other ROVs for commercial
and search and rescue missions, VideoRay gets into tight spots
that
divers have difficulty reaching and stays under water for hours.
VideoRay can be operated and transported with ease by a single
person. Weighing just eight pounds/four kg, the VideoRay sub
can be launched from boat or dock.
A tether up to 500 feet/152 meters is attached to the sub and
control box, which enables remote control of the sub. The
VideoRay camera-eye
sends crisp, high-resolution images to a monitor on the surface.
VideoRay 2000 can sustain in temperatures ranging from 0-40
degrees C and stay submerged long after humans would have
to surface.
The average adult can understand basic operation in five
minutes. For
greater control, four hours of learning time is recommended.
For information on purchasing VideoRay from PentaTech, contact:
PentaTech cc.
P O Box 3911
Cape Town, 8000
Unit 4, Castle Park
Killarney Ent. 3
Killarney Gardens, 7441
Cape Town, South Africa
Phone: +27 (0)21 5579712
FAX: +27 (0)21 5577225
E-mail: sales@pentatech.com
http://www.videoray.com
For more information on VideoRay, Inc., contact:
VideoRay, Inc.
690 Stockton Drive
Exton, PA 19341-1152 USA
PH: 610-458-3000
FAX: 610-458-3010
Info@videoray.com
www.videoray.com
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EDITORS: For digital images, print photographs, video in PAL,
or an educational video on a range of VideoRay underwater uses,
please visit our Web site.
All brands and product names are trademarks of their respective
owners
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