Superyacht inflatable manufacturer FunAir and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) announced the development of the Rescue SeaStairs after the two institutions partnered. The Rescue SeaStairs are an adaptation of FunAir’s patented SeaStairs technology for superyachts but have been modified for critical maritime rescue operations. The Rescue SeaStairs are tailored to the specific requirements of RNLI crews and constructed for life-saving operations to help get people out of water far quicker than other means. The equipment is designed to reduce the risk for both the rescuers and those in distress. Currently being deployed across the United Kingdom, the SeaStairs have already been used in rescues — including one rescue where more than 40 lives were saved. “It enables our crews to recover large numbers of people from the water at high speed — which in a rescue situation could be the difference between life and death,” said Simon Ling, head of lifeboats at RNLI.