Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Can a RescueStreamer® foul a boats propeller?

Answer: The boat operator should approach slowly and methodically to avoid the RescueStreamer® fouling the propeller in the first place. A safe methodical approach should include steps to remove the RescueStreamer®, or any other device, from the path of the propeller, likely with a boat hook or other reaching device. If the RescueStreamer® is drawn into the propeller, the affect on maneuvering would be minimal or non-existent, the RescueStreamer® film would be cut or torn apart by the propeller as it spins.

Question: How does wind and wave action effect RescueStreamer®?

Answer: The RescueStreamer® has been tested by many professionals including independent experts, U. S. and foreign government and military organizations and our customers. RescueStreamer® has been proven to successfully signal distress in all terrains and conditions. Specifically wind and wave action increases RescueStreamer® performance and signaling capability is enhanced. The RescueStreamer® film actually takes the shape of and conforms to the surface of the water riding wave faces and typically trailing the object it is attached to.

Question: What is the difference in signaling capability between the different RescueStreamer® models?

Answer: Independent testing has proven the following facts associated with the different RescueStreamer® products: Our smallest product, the 6 inch wide by 25 foot long Survivor, is routinely detected by search aircraft flying at 1,500 feet of altitude and 1.3 miles distance. Our larger product, the 11 inch wide by 40 foot long Mariner, is routinely detected by search aircraft flying at 1,500 feet of altitude and 1.5 miles distance. The results of RescueStreamer® testing demonstrate that the products definitively exceed day signal requirements for pilots, boat operators and back country hikers.

(suggested resource http://www.equipped.com/signal.htm)

Please direct your questions to info@rescuestreamer.com

Meet Team RescueStreamer - Kirk Neprud

Kirk S. Neprud is Vice President for Rescue Technologies Corporation. Mr. Neprud is a retired U. S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer and private sector industry survival systems technologist with 31 years experience. Mr. Neprud is a subject matter expert in the use, maintenance and instruction associated with aviation and marine rescue and survival systems. He has extensive experience with organizational program management and systems requirements generation. During his U. S. Coast Guard career, Mr. Neprud performed duties as deck seaman, operational fixed wing air crew member, helicopter rescue swimmer, emergency medical technician, and headquarters staff level officer as rescue, and survival systems program manager. Since his retirement from the U. S. Coast Guard, Mr. Neprud has continued work with the marine and aviation safety industry associated with safety and life preservation at sea. Mr. Neprud is a program and contract management professional with both government and private sector experience. He has proven successes in all levels of responsibility requiring advanced technical knowledge, interpersonal relationships, and oral/written communication skills. Mr. Neprud has professional associations with national and international organizations working operational requirements generation, project management, and proposal development focusing on safety and survival equipment and life cycle management.

Meet Team RescueStreamer - Dr. Robert Yonover

Dr. Robert Yonover earned his Ph.D. in geochemistry/volcanology from the University of Hawaii School of Ocean & Earth Science Technology with laboratory research at NASA Johnson Space Center and MIT. He has a history of innovative scientific contributions, technologies and patents. Dr. Yonover’s unique background arose from his roots as a non-talking child with a strong connection to nature and the ability to approach problems in a primitive yet creative fashion. Using life and death situations with the ocean as his laboratory, he has invented a multitude of survival technologies, including the military-approved RescueStreamer®, an emergency distress signaling device, is now in use by all branches of the U.S. Military. Dr. Yonover’s media credits include appearances on CNN, PBS, Discovery Channel, with most major magazines covering the RescueStreamer® technology.

Dr. Yonover's has a new book out entitled "Hardcore Inventing" from Skyhorse Publishing New York (with award-winning co-author Elle Crowe). The book is already receiving rave reviews (see http://www.hardcoreinventing.com/) and is now available in bookstores worlwide.

Please follow him on Twitter and become a Fan of RescueStreamer on Facebook!

RescueStreamer Discovery Channel Video on Youtube

The Story Behind The Rescue Streamer

“We kept wondering why they couldn’t see us.”

It’s an all-too-common scenario in search and rescue missions; aircraft fly overhead, unable to see survivors. No matter how much they flail their arms, people are little more than a speck.

RescueStreamer®, the brainchild of geo-chemist Dr. Robert Yonover, was borne following a frightening single-engine Cessna flight. He wondered how he’d be seen, let alone rescued. A week later, Yonover saw artist Christo’s pink plastic wrapping of the islands in Biscayne Bay, and his question was answered.

“I just said if I could unroll a little pink piece of plastic behind me, then [rescuers] could see me.”

Of course, it had to float. It also had to remain unfurled, regardless of wind conditions. It had to be light enough to carry, easy enough to deploy (even if injured) and visible over any terrain. These were the complications of a seemingly simple invention, and after 11 years of research and development, the revolutionary RescueStreamer® was introduced.

Since then, RescueStreamer® has undergone countless independent tests and is now approved for use by all branches of the US military. RescueStreamer® is available in several sizes, both online and in local retail outlets.