It looks like an underwater iPad hooked to a motor, but the city's new Shark Marine Navigator is a potential life saver, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster announced Wednesday
The city of Long Beach's Public Safety Dive Team often effectively works in the dark, which is disorienting and time-consuming and potentially unsafe; but using sonar, the Shark Marine Navigator can help reach missing swimmers or submerged victims faster, Foster said in a news release.
“The Shark Marine Navigator sonar imaging and navigation system gives our first responders the ability to do their jobs better and safer in a dangerous environment, and provide better service to the community,” Foster said.
The city says: "Originally developed for military special forces divers to navigate underwater undetected, the Shark Marine Navigator allows divers to 'see' up to 250 meters away in zero visibility, providing them with complete situational awareness of their environment. Public Safety Team Divers are confident this technology will allow them to locate a target or victim much faster than traditional search pattern techniques, giving victims a greater chance of survival."
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