A new company has begun running trails of a new solar-powered lifebuoy-monitoring system in Carrickfergus Harbour.

Lava Monitoring, established by the Belfast-based Lava Group, says that its product — known as Sentry — has been designed to combat the risks associated with people stealing and damaging equipment from waterfronts.

Gareth Morrison, Lava Group CEO, said that lifebuoys require regular inspections to ensure that they have not “fallen foul of misuse, theft or vandalism. Constant monitoring can have financial implications for those responsible for maintaining and inspecting the equipment, with manpower and resources required to oversee
the checks”.

Sentry is patented in the UK and has taken five years to develop. Remote monitoring will allow the user to get real-time status of all of the safety equipment in their area.

In the event of a lifebuoy being removed or tampered with, an alarm is sent out to the user.

Mr Morrison said: “This trial period is a significant step forward in bringing to market an important product in the development of safety-monitoring solutions. Due to the vital function that lifebuoys perform, it is paramount that they are present at all times.”