The Rotary Club of South Hilo continued its contribution to water safety in East Hawaii by recently installing nine Rescue Tube stations at various attended and unattended county beach parks from Punaluu to Laupahoehoe. The devices are provided by the Rescue Tube Foundation.
The Rotary Club of South Hilo continued its contribution to water safety in East Hawaii by recently installing nine Rescue Tube stations at various attended and unattended county beach parks from Punaluu to Laupahoehoe. The devices are provided by the Rescue Tube Foundation.
Rescue Tubes are personal flotation devices accessible for public use to stabilize distressed swimmers and have a buoyancy that can support three adults.
The Rescue Tubes have become a statewide project for many Rotary clubs since they were first introduced on Kauai in 2008. The Rotary Club of South Hilo has been one of the more active clubs in this project, installing more than 40 Rescue Tubes to date.
Immediate past president Kim Arakawa said one lifeguard told the club that the rescue tubes would be helpful for beaches left unattended later in the day.
“Installing rescue tubes at our county beach parks improves access to ocean safety resources when lifeguards or other options are not available,” said Randy Kurohara, county managing director and South Hilo Rotarian.
“Rescue Tubes are proven to help save lives and we ask the public to assist in raising awareness on their importance, and to respect these devices and only use them in emergency situations.”
For more information about the Rescue Tube effort, or to attend a club meeting, visit www.rotarysouthilo.org.