Lake Saint Louis, MO (May 22, 2017) – Recreational boaters who enjoy towable watersports have experienced the anxiety associated with what could happen to their watersports participant once they fall off of their tube/skis/wakeboard and land into the busy waters, without any device to mark their location and alert other boaters that a person and potential hazard, is in the water. A new product, DownAlert PSD™, has been released to solve the problem of leaving watersports participants alone in the water without a visual alert or signaling device. DownAlert PSD is worn on the arm of a watersports participant and includes an attached signal flag, which is deployed from the device and manually waved by the participant when down in the water.
“The majority of recreational boating accidents are caused by operator inattention, operator inexperience, improper lookout, and ski/tow/tube mishap, with boating under the influence contributing to all of these events,” said Denise Pitlyk, Owner of DownAlert PSD, LLC. “Given this data, clearly, a watersports participant left alone in the water, with no visible signal to alert boaters that a person or hazard is nearby, is increasingly susceptible to being involve in, or contributing to, a boating accident. DownAlert PSD provides a visible signal and alert to these participants.“
Twelve states across the country require a “Skier Down Flag” to be displayed on the boat when a watersports participant falls in the water. However, this is often viewed as an inadequate means of an alert, because it does not draw attention to the person in the water and, in fact, could distract from the person and towards the boat.
“DownAlert PSD is for all ages, but as a parent, grandparent, and captain of the ship, the greatest concern I have is for the kids left in the water. Think about how difficult it is to see them when the water is dark and choppy. And it really does take a while for that boat to get back to them. DownAlert can really help to increase their visibility and improve safety,” said Pitlyk.
About DownAlert PSD™: DownAlert PSD is a personal signaling device (PSD) for watersports safety. DownAlert PSD’s patent pending design provides a highly visible alert to signal boats that a person is down in the water and provides a return location for the boat. Its bright orange design includes reflective diamonds, to alert boaters to avoid the area. DownAlert PSD is light, compact, easy to use, and will not interfere with watersports activities. It is available in four sizes.
DownAlert PSD is manufactured in Missouri, USA, and is a proud member of WSIA and NASBLA.