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Every now and then a pool product comes along that blends the best of technology with the greatest need of the swimming pool industry, safety for children. One such product is the Safety Turtle®, a well-conceived, practical device that sounds an audible alarm if a child enters the pool.

The Safety Turtle attaches to a child's wrist as would a wrist watch. The supervising adult actually "locks" the turtle in place and retains a key. Should the child enter the pool, an audible alarm sounds from a base station.

The ingenuity of its design and circuitry help it distinguish between a child who is simply cooling off in the sprinkler from one who has ventured into the pool. And, it will sound before peril occurs such as a child wading.

The Safety Turtle does not have a time delay as do door alarms. Should a child fall in to the water, the alarm goes off instantly and continues until it is manually reset. Unlike floating alarms, the Safety Turtle is not plagued by false alarms.

... It can be used at home or in another pool. It can be used in lakes or rivers, in boats, or even around golf courses and fountains. ... Even the alarm volume control cannot be defeated, except for short test periods. There is only one sound… Loud.

Each unit is sealed for durability during play times and boasts a battery life of four years. ...

Of course the fear most people have is of a child drowning. But pets are also a concern. Every year Olde Towne Animal Hospital deals with one or two near-drownings and they admit they have no idea how many dogs actually drown or get pulled out of pools before medical attention is required. It could be quite a few.

... An intrusion alarm is too often turned off and many so-called "turbulence alarms"--those that sense a splash--don't seem to work as advertised.

...Safety Turtle. What differentiates it from other pool alarms is that it focuses on the victim, not the pool.

We've been using this device all summer, and it seems to work. I've tested it by throwing MacDuff's collar into the pool, and the alarm goes off every time... .

..." Mr. Lyons says, "but we've had excellent response and know of several children and pets whose lives have been saved."

I know that parents and grandparents can benefit from this device, but the market for pet owners is big, too. When I showed it to Dr. Richard Altieri at Olde Towne Animal Hospital, he said, "This is great. Every dog owner should know about it." The East End's leading dog trainer, Dan Gebbia, told me, "The risk of a dog drowning in a pool is very real--and unfortunately, it's not a fast death."

I have no connection with this company other than the one phone call, but I think if you have a pool and want to protect your little ones you should look into it. The Safety Turtle fills a need."