Lifebuoy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the lifesaving device. For the brand of soap, see Lifebuoy (soap).
Image:Mercator03.jpg A lifebuoy or lifering is a life saving buoy designed to be thrown to a person in the water, to provide buoyancy, to prevent drowning. Marine lifebuoys are fitted with a sea-water-activated light, or lights, to aid rescue at night.
The lifebuoy usually is ring-shaped or horseshoe-shaped and has a connecting line allowing the casualty to be pulled to the rescuer. They are carried by ships and are also located beside bodies of water that have the depth or potential to drown someone.
In WWII a type of British army flamethrower was nicknamed a lifebuoy because of its doughnut-shaped backpack fueltank.
