The $400 wristband sonar system that will sound the alarm if your child falls into the pool

  • New technology by researchers at Newcastle University can prevent drownings
  • The three-part alarm system consists of a wristband and two receivers
  • The receivers are activated when the wristband is submerged underwater
  • One receiver floats in the pool and the other can be stationed up to 170 feet away

By Maggie O'Neill For Dailymail.com

A new alarm system has been designed to help parents monitor their children when they are playing by a pool - even if they cannot see their kids.

The system, from Dolphin Alarms, consists of three pieces: a wristband that a child wears, an alarm stationed in the pool and an alarm that goes off in one's home should an accident occur.

It was designed by engineer John Barstead after his neighbor's toddler died because of a preventable drowning accident.

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Pictured are the three components of a new system designed to prevent fatal drownings in swimming pools. Children unable to swim wear a wristband that, if submerged, sounds two alarms: one in the pool and one that can be placed up to 170 feet away in a home setting

Pictured are the three components of a new system designed to prevent fatal drownings in swimming pools. Children unable to swim wear a wristband that, if submerged, sounds two alarms: one in the pool and one that can be placed up to 170 feet away in a home setting

There are about 10 accidental drownings in the US each day, and about 20 percent of them happen to children under 14 years old, according to the CDC.

The Kickstarter page for Dolphin Alarms cites research claiming that 70 percent of preschoolers who drown are being watched by at least one parent at the time of the incident.

One of the biggest threats to a child once they have fallen in the water is brain damage, which takes as little as four minutes underwater to set in.

Dolphin Alarms stresses the efficiency of the new product during accidents when every second counts, and the company's Kickstarter page says the system is the first of its kind.

It was designed by Barstead over the course of 13 years following the tragic accident that impacted his community.

Researchers from Newcastle University in the UK helped develop the product.

This diagram explains how the system works. It operates in both fresh and saltwater pools, and the wristband can be worn by children under two years old. Researchers at Newcastle University in the UK helped design the system

This diagram explains how the system works. It operates in both fresh and saltwater pools, and the wristband can be worn by children under two years old. Researchers at Newcastle University in the UK helped design the system

The three-part system can alert parents immediately if their child has entered the water.

The wristband is meant for 'non-swimmers' such as children too young to play in the water.

If a child wearing the device falls or jumps into the pool, the wristband sends a signal to a separate device floating in the water.

The wristband is suitable for children under two years old, and emits sound frequencies upon being immersed in pool water.

A Kickstarter page for the new alarm system explained that the company behind the technology is trying to save children's lives. The system was designed by an engineer whose community was impacted by the accidental drowning of a toddler (file photo)

A Kickstarter page for the new alarm system explained that the company behind the technology is trying to save children's lives. The system was designed by an engineer whose community was impacted by the accidental drowning of a toddler (file photo)

HOW COMMON ARE DROWNING DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES?

According to the CDC, an average of 3,536 unintentional drownings took place from 2005 to 2014.

For every child drowning death, five children receive emergency care for submersion injuries that do not prove fatal.

More than half of drowning victims who receive care in emergency rooms have to be hospitalized or be treated at other medical facilities.

This compared to a hospitalization rate of six percent for all other unintentional injuries.

Nonfatal drowning injuries frequently lead to severe brain damage, which can cause major disabilities including memory failure.

Nearly 80 percent of drowning victims are male.

The CDC lists the following as factors that can influence one's risk of drowning:

  • lack of barriers (such as fencing around a swimming pool)
  • the inability to swim
  • lack of supervision
  • no access to life jackets
  • seizure disorders
  • alcohol use
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The receiver in the pool is programmed to pick up on these frequencies and it emits an alarm along with a second device, which can be placed in one's home up to 170 feet from the pool.

'Once the frequencies are detected, a loud, penetrating sound alarm is initiated at the swimming pool and in the house simultaneously,' a Dolphin Alarms statement explained.

The alarm system works in saltwater and freshwater pools.

A pledge of $202.09 will let a limited number of buyers the get system for half price assuming it the technology makes it to production.

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