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Beacon of hope for sea-goers is saving thousands of lives
British inventor David Marshall recounts how his rescue against all the odds from the Pacific Ocean inspired his long struggle to ‘beat the system’ and bring the world’s first life-saving locator beacon into everyday use.
His extraordinary story, The Beacon Man, begins in near tragedy off New Caledonia, when he was only 20, and takes the reader into the corridors of power across the northern hemisphere and into the financial world, where the sharks turn out to be worse than those circling close by during his ocean ordeal.
His beacon was already saving lives when the rescue of Atlantic oarsman Kenneth Kerr whose Locat beacon signal was picked by aircraft, including Concorde from 300 miles away in 1979, generated crucial publicity for the invention. But the UK authorities were unimpressed when it came to public contract awards.
“The number of instances when the little Locat helped someone in trouble was increasing week by week,” said Mr Marshall. “We formed a survivors’ club and sent them commemorative tankards in return for their stories, but we had to stop because there were so many of them and it became too expensive."
“But, instead of getting support we ran into obstruction after obstruction to deter us or block the use of this new rescue aid. I learned that our country does not look after its innovators. Yet, other countries were far more interested, some making it mandatory.
Invited to Russia, Mr Marshall returned with a high six-figure order for the Soviet Fleets, but was never able to fulfil it because his UK bank, without warning or explanation, called in most of his overdraft, effectively putting him out of business. He looks back on the whole experience with great suspicion.
With the support of his wife, Pauline, Mr Marshall started up again. His invention the "Sea Marshall beacon" featured on BBC Tomorrows World, He was nominated as Lone Inventor of the Year in 2000, and nominated for the UK Peoples Award in the same year.
His efforts attracted the attention of powerful figures within the US with a requirement for the U.S. Navy fleet. Meeting keen sailors Senators Ted and Patrick Kennedy in Washington, he gained their endorsement for the "Sea Marshall" and concluded a deal with an American millionaire investor.
But the investor failed to complete payment and although he won a New York judgment for £2.5m for breach of obligations it proved a hollow victory because of the legal costs, which necessitated selling his home.
Meanwhile, he started yet again as Marine Rescue Technologies. The device continued to impress, winning the support of professional sailors, Coastguards and the Oil & Gas industry. The Spanish and Dutch Governments made the carriage of this device mandatory for fishermen involving the supply of many thousands of Mr Marshall's devices.
After building up the business for a further ten years Mr Marshall sold it to an Australian company that had also been working on ’man overboard’ safety systems and now has its operational headquarters near his home in Beverley, East Yorkshire.
Workers in the offshore oil, gas and wind industries, coastguards and fishermen now carry locator beacons on their survival garments as a matter of course. “We have come a very long way in improving the safety of life for mariners,” said Mr Marshall.
CAPTION – Swimming with the sharks: David Marshall on Hull waterfront
The Beacon Man is available from Waterstones or WH Smith, Amazon (£9.95, 351pp)