It is only a frightening experience to have to rescue an injured diver, but in many cases, it can also be physically difficult, or even impossible, to lift the stricken diver out of the water.

How do you, for example, lift a heavy diver into a boat, onto a dock or up a steep shore? Those who have tried it, either for real or during exercises, will know what I am talking about.

Unless there are many people to help in the event of an accident, it can be almost prohibitive, or take too many precious minutes.

At the DEMA show, I, therefore, hit the brakes hard when I came down the aisle and spotted this board, which is basically a thin and light stretcher that makes it much easier to pull a diver out of the water while at the same time stabilizes the injured person.

It was developed by some professional American firefighters (who are also divers) who realized that the boards, which lifeguards on the beach were equipped with, were not suitable for divers. These boards were initially designed to be pulled by a jet ski.

The product is expected to be launched in Europe in the new year, and we have spoken to the manufacturer about getting one for testing.