Science & Technology
Science and Technology
Science and Technology
Thu, February 26, 2009 McMurdo EPIRB Featured in CBS TV?s Dramatization of Family Rescued from Shipwreck
SO. ST. PAUL, Minn.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Digital Angel (NASDAQ: DIGA), an advanced technology company in the field of animal identification and emergency identification solutions, announced today that on Saturday evening February 28 CBS TV will air a program entitled Live to Tell:Black Wave that tells the story of a family of six that was rescued by an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) manufactured by the Company's McMurdo unit.
In the summer of 2005 John and Jean Silverwood of San Diego, California and their four children set out on a round-the-world cruise on their 55-foot catamaran. They struck a reef in French Polynesia, and 12-foot seas destroyed the vessel and disabled all radios and their satellite phone. Their McMurdo 406 MHz EPIRB survived the wreck, and the beacon's signal was picked up and tracked by the United States Coast Guard. USCG personnel relayed the critical information to the French Navy, who ultimately rescued the Silverwoods.
The EPIRB in question was a McMurdo Precision™ EPIRB, the forerunner of the Smartfind™, which is available in two models, the Smartfind Plus G5, with GPS for fast pinpoint location, and the standard Smartfind E5. Both are fitted with a powerful strobe light for localized visual identification and location, and a 121.5 MHz homing transmitter signal, which is often used by official search and rescue authorities to home into the source. These life-saving devices are accurate and robust, and are designed to be fitted for easy access on a yacht or ship.
The Smartfind EPIRBs work by transmitting radio signals which are detected by the COSPAS-SARSAT international government search and rescue satellite network. A distress signal is automatically relayed through an automatic ground station to a control center where it is decoded and the distress and registration details are passed on to the relevant search and rescue authority.
Both Smartfind EPIRBs meet all federal and international regulations and approvals. Every family and sailor setting out to sea should carry one on board, as this story testifies.
Live to Tell: Black Wave will air on Saturday, February 28th at 10:00 p.m. PT/ET. For further information, please see [ www.cbsnews.com/sections/48hours/main3410.shtml ].
About McMurdo
A division of Digital Angel's Signature Industries subsidiary, based in the United Kingdom, McMurdo is a world leading producer of Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), Search and Rescue Transponders (SARTs), VHF Radios and NAVTEX for the maritime and leisure markets, including shipping, yachting, aviation and outdoor adventure pursuits. Products are manufactured using state-of-the art technology, and in partnership with the world's major safety regulatory organizations.
About Digital Angel
Digital Angel ([ www.digitalangel.com ]) is an advanced technology company in the field of animal identification and emergency identification solutions. Digital Angel's products are utilized around the world in such applications as pet identification using its patented, FDA-approved implantable microchip; livestock identification and tracking using visual and radio frequency identification (RFID) ear tags; and global positioning systems (GPS) search and rescue beacons for use on aircraft, ships and boats, and by adventure enthusiasts.
