Boat Propeller Strike Injuries

Qualifications

With over four decades of direct involvement in product development, testing, and manufacturing, I have gained extensive experience across various industries. For the past 27 years, my primary focus has been on propeller guarding technology, where I have actively contributed to advancements in safety and innovation. Through hands-on engagement with every stage of the engineering process, I have developed a practical approach that defines my work as a “Hands-On Practical Engineer.”

Before transitioning into the marine industry, I spent twelve years employed at Professional Technologies, Inc. (PTI), located in Redding, California. During my time at PTI, the company was a leader in the development of advanced medical equipment, with a particular focus on devices used to diagnose diseases of the eye. Our work centered around ophthalmologic testing instruments, including tonometers and central field analyzers, and we were also involved in the pioneering development of the first surgical Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) laser.

For the last six years of my tenure at PTI, I served as the manager of the Research and Development Department. In this capacity, I was responsible for overseeing every stage of the product lifecycle: from initial concept and design, through rigorous testing and evaluation, and ultimately to the introduction of products into manufacturing and sales. This experience provided me with a comprehensive understanding of product development and commercialization within a highly technical and regulated industry.

During my tenure at Professional Technologies, Inc. (PTI), the company diversified beyond its core medical equipment development and entered the aeronautics sector. This expansion involved the creation and production of an “experimental” aircraft, specifically a fixed-wing ultralight model. PTI undertook the complete design of the aircraft, which encompassed all major components such as the cockpit structure, wings, bulkheads, and various other sub-assemblies crucial to the airplane’s construction. My department played a central role in this process, overseeing every aspect from the initial design phase to comprehensive testing procedures, which ranged from static evaluations to destruction tests. Additionally, we were responsible for meticulously documenting and reporting all results associated with these activities, ensuring thorough records and compliance throughout the project.

Following the successful introduction of the “SunSeeker” ultralight aircraft, Professional Technologies, Inc. (PTI) underwent a significant change when it was acquired by an external organization and subsequently relocated to a different city. At that juncture, I made the decision to remain in my local area rather than move with the company. This pivotal moment led me to establish Propeller Guard Technologies, Inc., a business dedicated to advancing safety in boating. My motivation was deeply influenced by two serious boating accidents that occurred on Shasta Lake, California, both involving rental houseboats—one of which resulted in a tragic fatality in 1995. These incidents underscored the urgent need for improved propeller safety devices, shaping the mission and focus of Propeller Guard Technologies, Inc. on preventing boat propeller-related injuries and fatalities.

In 1996, Propeller Guard Technologies, Inc. introduced the “SwimGuard” propeller guard, also known as the “cage-type” guard. This innovation marked the beginning of the company’s dedicated journey toward enhancing boating safety. Since its launch, SwimGuard has gained widespread acceptance and is now shipped nationwide and internationally. The product serves a diverse clientele, including United States state and federal law enforcement agencies as well as boat forces within the United States Coast Guard (USCG), demonstrating its vital role in marine safety applications.

Over the course of the next 25 years, my engagement with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Office of Boating Safety became increasingly significant. The shared commitment between the USCG’s mission to reduce propeller strike injuries and fatalities and my personal dedication to this cause fostered a strong mutual resolve. This alignment prompted my company to deepen its involvement within the marine industry.‍ ‍

To further enhance my understanding of the marine industry, I actively participated in numerous meetings and trade shows, striving to gain greater insight into industry practices and standards. I attended the same seminars and presentations as Boating Law Enforcement officers, investigators, and other key stakeholders. These events provided valuable opportunities to acquire specialized knowledge and education relating to boat accident inspections and reporting procedures, as well as methods for conducting thorough boat inspections and simulating accident reconstructions.

My company leveraged the information gathered from these industry events to inform the development of alternative safety devices. These innovations were specifically designed to address and mitigate the types of injuries and fatalities that were actively discussed within the seminars and presentations, contributing to ongoing efforts to enhance boating safety and prevent accidents.

Boating has been a lifelong passion of mine, beginning at the age of sixteen when I first took the helm of our family’s boats. Over the years, my family and I owned a variety of vessels, including runabouts, pontoon boats, and even a 56-foot houseboat. The majority of my boating adventures took place on the picturesque Shasta Lake, as well as numerous other inland waterways located in far northern California. These experiences on the water not only deepened my appreciation for boating but also shaped my understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges associated with different types of recreational watercraft.

As a family, we were always concerned about the inherent hazards associated with a boat’s design. We all recognized that almost every pleasure craft is designed with the boat’s boarding ladder, swim deck, or other water entry and exit platforms positioned just inches away from the boat’s propeller. This arrangement is inherently dangerous, as it places anyone entering or exiting the water in close proximity to the unguarded, spinning propeller blades. The potential for severe injury is significant, and the risk is present every time someone uses these platforms.

The fundamental reason we designed the SwimGuard was to address and prevent these dangers. Once installed, SwimGuard requires no further action or adjustment; it functions passively, providing ongoing protection by shielding individuals from the spinning propeller blades. This design ensures that safety is maintained without relying on user intervention, offering peace of mind and a reliable solution to a critical boating hazard.

‍Once the SwimGuard design met all testing criteria established by our research and development team, we took immediate steps to install the device on our own houseboat for extensive, long-term evaluation. This firsthand application allowed us to closely monitor its performance and reliability under regular boating conditions. Shortly after, our friends and family members—who were also avid boaters—began fitting their boats with the SwimGuard. The feedback from these early adopters was overwhelmingly positive, as there were no complaints regarding the installation or operation of the device.

Despite our collective experience on the water, the addition of the SwimGuard cage-type propeller guard provided an immediate sense of reassurance. Knowing that an extra layer of protection was now in place to help guard against unexpected accidents brought peace of mind to everyone involved. This milestone marked the beginning of our ongoing quest to develop additional solutions aimed at reducing and ultimately eliminating propeller strike incidents.

Prior to marketplace release, each of the safety devices were thoroughly tested and evaluated. Each product underwent extensive in-house and in-the-field testing for the desired effectiveness of design and functionality. Each product was individually designed to interrupt the “sequence of events” that occur during most boating accident scenarios, or to prevent the accident scenario from even taking place.

Once functionality and durability were confirmed, accident reconstruction evaluations began - not with centrifuge equipment or battering rams or other mechanical devices - but with real-world, human testing, especially with the SwimGuard “cage-type” propeller guard and the Virtual Lifeline “wireless lanyard.”

As the company’s president, it was my directive that the company would not release a safety product designed to protect people from a “propeller strike” or a “falls overboard event” without putting ourselves in harm’s way first.

As a younger person, I was blessed with physicality, athleticism and martial arts training, which ironically prepared me to be the person (victim) in the water. Most importantly, I had faith in the products.

Using information contained in numerous boating accident reports that were provided to me by local Law Enforcement, we reconstructed and executed the various scenarios that led to an injury or fatality.

In the execution of propeller strike simulations (with the propeller guard installed), I was backed over and run over by houseboats, pontoon boats, and family ski boats, with the focus of coming into contact with the propeller guard on each attempt. Speeds ranged from accidental start-ups to approximately 5 mph. We stayed within this range due to most propeller strikes occurring while people were entering or exiting the water via the various boarding platforms. In all of our accident reconstructions, the guard proved reliable and effective in preventing myself from coming into contact with a spinning propeller.

My company utilized the same methodology to simulate ‘falls overboard’ events. Again, I was the ‘victim’ falling overboard into the water. Speed ranged from accidental start-ups to 21 mph. In all of our accident reconstructions, our product, the “Virtual Lifeline System” proved reliable and effective in shutting off the boat’s motor immediately upon my submersion into the water.

An unexpected finding from the start-up to idle speed evaluations was that I was able to physically experience what a person must also feel while being drawn into a spinning propeller. As soon as the motor is put into gear and the propeller starts to spin, the water environment completely changes with no way to protect yourself. It is truly a helpless sensation!