Lifesaver wins world acclaim

A life-saving design with far-reaching potential has won industrial design graduate Sam Adeloju one of the world's highest-profile prizes for young designers.

Sam, who graduated from the Faculty of Built Environment last year, has won the James Dyson Award for his Longreach Buoyancy Deployment System. Longreach is a handheld launcher powered by oxygen and butane, capable of firing a self-inflating flotation device over long distances to people at risk of drowning.

Video: Longreach in action

The prize, announced in London on October 5, has secured a $15,000 prize and a visit to the UK Dyson factory for Sam, plus a further $15,000 for FBE.

Sam, who is now working with an industrial design firm in Sydney, said he was looking forward to meeting James Dyson, the patron of the award and famous designer of the Dyson vacuum cleaner and Airblade bladeless fan.

"It should be really exciting - he's brought some really interesting and crazy projects to life," Sam said.

Sam became a candidate for the international James Dyson Award after winning the Silver Medal in the Australian arm of the competition earlier this year.

Longreach had already attracted the interest of Surf Life Saving Australia, which is considering investing development money into the project.

Sam said the exposure generated by the worldwide Dyson prize would be a major boost for Longreach, which is currently a side-project but one he is seeking to develop for production.

"The award will definitely help with international interest," he said.

Media Contact:Peter Trute, UNSW Media Office | 02 9385 1933 | p.trute@unsw.edu.au