One of the finalists in the 2010 James Dyson Awards, the Longreach Buoyancy System by Samuel Adeloju makes being a lifeguard a hundred times cooler. It’s essentially a bazooka that shoots an expanding buoyancy device. Of course there’s also the life-saving aspect – using Longreach, a (skilled) user can launch a buoyancy device to a distance of almost 500 ft.
According to Sahara Reports, Adeloju won AU$16,000 (appx. $16,400 USD) for his concept. The article also stated that it is likely that the concept will be turned into an actual product. Here’s the life-saving weapon in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqMS_xEsUIwYou wouldn’t want to hit your target spot on with the Longreach though, or else you might do more harm than good.
[James Dyson Award via Instash]