Squad Uses Frisbee-Like Gadget In Tubers’ Rescue

By Anna C. Irwin Of the Daily Times Staff If you can throw a Frisbee, you can save a life. Blount County Rescue Squad used the ResQ Disc to prove that last Friday when the hauled two tubers out of Little River in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, then were called back to the park less than an hour later to rescue four swimmers in trouble at the Townsend Y. The chief executive officer of Save A Life, the Florida company that produces the discs, planned to fly to Blount County Thursday to personally congratulate the squad for their life-saving efforts. Unfortunately, Dr. Sytko’s plane was grounded by bad weather in Atlanta. A plaque recognizing the Blount County Rescue Squad’s efforts was presented by James Bruns of Bruns Wholesale in Seymour, the East Tennessee representative for Save A Life. Harold Robbins, chairman of the squad’s board of directors, accepted the recognition on behalf of the squad’s volunteers. He also announced plans for a fund-raising effort by the squad utilizing the ResQ Disc. Robbins said everyone making a donation of $30 or more to the Blount County Rescue Squad will receive one of the discs which retail for $39.95. Those who get a disc in appreciation for a $30 donation will save almost $10 over a retail purchase. The rescue squad will keep $10 from each $30 donation. “The greatest benefit will be getting the ResQ Disc into the hands of boaters, people with swimming pools, and others who might someday need to save someone from drowning,” Robbins said. Details of the disc giveaway to donors will be announced later. The disc looks like a fat orange Frisbee wearing a belt. Only 12 inches across, it’s compact enough for any location. When needed, anyone can use it by pulling lose the Velcro on the belt to free a few yards of the 100 feet of rope wrapped around the disc. The belt is attached to the thrower’s waist before the disc is thrown. The disc releases its rope as it sails through the air. The rope acts as a guide making it relatively easy to hit a target area. Once the disc lands in the water, it becomes a flotation device able to support two adults who can be pulled to safety with the rope. Jana Lusby, Blount County Rescue Squad unit director, said Burns gave two discs to the squad a few months ago and asked them to test the device. “We used it in April to get lines across the river when we were recovering the body of a drowning victim at The Sinks,” Lusby said. “We used it again last Friday and were convinced it’s a valuable tool for water rescue.” “We teach people to reach, throw, row, or go – in that order. If you can’t reach a victim, throw something to them. If that doesn’t work, use a boat to reach them. Going into the water to swim out to a victim is a last resort. Too often, the would-be rescuer becomes another victim,” Lusby said. Since the ResQ Disc is a new invention, it has been extensively tested but there were only six documented uses in which lives were actually saved – until last Friday. The Blount County Rescue Squad’s rescues from Little River doubled the number of people saved by the ResQ Disc.