World's First Remotely Controlled Rescue Vessel Unveiled By Zelim At SMM Trade Fair

Zelim, an Edinburgh-based sea survival innovator, has unveiled the world’s first unmanned and manned remotely controlled rescue vessel designed for person-in-water retrieval.

The vessel, named Guardian, was launched for the first time at the SMM Trade Fair in Hamburg, Germany.

The Guardian, an 8.4-meter-long, 2.5-meter-wide aluminium-hulled Next Generation Fast Rescue Craft (FRC), is designed for quick deployment and to recover both conscious and unconscious casualties in challenging maritime conditions.

The vessel is intended to operate in conditions deemed too dangerous for conventional manned rescue missions, offering a safer alternative for maritime emergencies.

GUARDIAN, developed over four years with cooperation from the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the U.S. Coastguard, features ZELIM’s type-approved SWIFT fast rescue conveyor and ZOE, intelligent detecting software designed to optimize search operations.

Using existing LARS davit systems, the vessel can be launched immediately from a mothership or shoreside site. Once deployed, the Alamarin AJ285 waterjet, powered by a Bukh VGT 400HP engine, propels the vessel at speeds surpassing 30 knots, with a 15 nautical mile operational range and a six-hour endurance.

The unique rescue craft can recover casualties with its integrated SWIFT system, which safely holds and retrieves individuals while reducing the risk of injury caused by a loss of hydrostatic pressure.

The SWIFT system can retrieve two survivors at the same time, reducing the risk of rescuers while increasing survival rates. The vessel can also carry up to 11 survivors, or nine if operated by a two-person crew.

The fact that nearly 40% of man-overboard accidents result in fatalities, with more than 1,000 persons falling overboard each year, emphasizes the importance of this concept.

The GUARDIAN’s autonomous capabilities and speedy deployment provide a potentially life-saving alternative to traditional rescue methods, particularly in adverse weather circumstances.

Zelim’s founder, Sam Mayall, states that sea survival hugely depends on the time it takes to retrieve individuals from the water. However, severe weather conditions can prohibit the launch of manned rescue craft, and lives are needlessly lost. GUARDIAN has been designed to ensure more individuals can be rescued in the harshest weather conditions.

The FRC can operate with or without a crew, and its AI-based person-in-water detecting technology improves situational awareness.

Besides man-overboard incidents, the GUARDIAN can also perform unmanned maritime safety and security operations, such as search and rescue operations, security patrols, and standby and recovery missions.

Reference: Zelim

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