ACR Electronics Sponsors Annual National Boating Officer Award

Like many people, Michael Smith didn’t want the extra expense of buying an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB) for his solo sailing trip from Rhode Island to the Virgin Islands. But, his wife, Terry, insisted on it and so they purchased a model produced by ACR Electronics – the AquaFix™ I/O P-EPIRB, with GPS interface.

The first leg of Smith’s trip from Rhode Island to Bermuda was calm sailing for five days. It was so smooth that he put the boat on autopilot and went below to make breakfast. Without warning, the vessel was slammed sideways so violently that he thought he had hit something. Before he could climb out of the hatch, it rolled three times.

With conditions deteriorating, mast broken, no power, no one in sight and 260 miles northwest of Bermuda, Smith activated his AquaFix™, interfaced it with on-board GPS and anxiously awaited help. Three hours later he heard the roar of a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) C-130 airplane.

USCG Lt. Jody Popp, co-pilot of the rescue crew from Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., said, “It was pretty nasty out there. With whitecaps it was hard to see him without the [AquaFix™ 406] EPIRB to get us to his location,” she said. “With the GPS we were able to fly directly to him.”

The USCG directed two shipping vessels to Smith’s position. Smith abandoned ship and was picked up by a 500-foot bulk carrier. He remained onboard until it arrived at its next port of call in Canada. Smith never dreamed he would end up in snowy Canada rather than the Virgin Islands, but he’s very happy it ended the way it did. “None of this would have been possible without the EPIRB. It literally saved my life,” he said.

This is the story of just one of the thousands of people who owe their lives to the high-quality products manufactured by ACR Electronics.

ACR Electronics Inc., part of Cobham’s Avionics and Surveillance Division, designs and manufactures a complete line of safety and survival products and safety accessories. Recognized as the world leader in safety and survival technologies, ACR has provided safety equipment to the aviation and marine industries, as well as to the military, since 1956.

With ACR’s focus on safety, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) was very pleased that the electronics company submitted a bid last year to sponsor Butch Potts Boating Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award.

“We are thrilled that ACR is the sponsor for our Boating Officer of the Year Award,” said John M. Johnson, executive director of NASBLA. “Their safety-minded philosophy fits right in with our mission to strengthen the ability of the state and territorial boating authorities to reduce death, injury and property damage associated with recreational boating and ensure a safe, secure and enjoyable boating environment.”

NASBLA developed the Boating Officer of the Year Award to recognize and honor outstanding service to recreational boating. The award symbolizes the highest level of achievement among boating law enforcement officers in the United States.

Ron Crowder, ACR’s Executive Director of Sales, and Scott Swanby, ACR’s Outdoor, Aviation and Government Sales Manager for North America, were eager to sign on last year as the sponsor of NASBLA’s Officer of the Year Award. ACR inked a contract to sponsor the award through 2009.

“We know an integral part of boating safety is enforcement. The marine patrol officers around the country provide a tremendous service,” said Crowder. “We are excited to be the sponsor of this award that recognizes those officers who excel at their jobs.” 

Since its founding 51 years ago, ACR has endeavored to provide the best electronic life support and signaling equipment modern technology could devise. This commitment to the quality of its products catapulted the young company into the forefront of the safety and survival industry. ACR rapidly became established as a leading supplier to the search and rescue communities, both commercial and government. ACR’s continuing commitment to excellence and the high quality and dependability of its equipment have made the company a world leader in the dynamic field of safety and survival.  

For marine markets, ACR manufactures a full range of EPIRBs, emergency VHF radios, man overboard lights, emergency life jacket lights, search lights, strobe lights, and search and rescue transponders. ACR manufactures the world’s smallest, fastest EPIRBs and continues to bring life-saving equipment to the marine market.

For more information about ACR Electronics Inc., visit www.acrelectronics.com.