Cork firm has two lifesaving apps in pipeline

A Cork company lauded for some of the most imaginative software development in the world has two more lifesaving apps in the works that could transform individual sea safety and responses to cardiac events.

Based in the University Technology Centre, Curraheen Rd in Cork, 8 West Consulting is working on projects that include a fitness wrist strap-like device that sets off a signal if a person in the sea gets into difficulty. The device would alert rescue services, as well as drones, to a situation.

The 200-employee company, which partners with DroneSAR, is simultaneously working with first responders and doctors on wearable technology that would go off when a person wearing it had a cardiac event. First responders providing CPR would not only be alerted to an emergency but would also get feedback in real-time as to how effective the CPR is via audio and data. Remarkably, it may also lead to a drone flying upon the scene in minutes to drop vital equipment.