While training as part of a Lifesaving Club, Ross Kemp noticed how hard it was to tow a victim in the water.

The product design student at Loughborough University started looking into rescue equipment and found dated recreational equipment was often adapted for rescue use. He saw an opportunity for innovation and decided to create a product designed for rescue by rescuers. It would have the maneuverability and quick launch aspects of a rescue board, but the power assistance like that of a jet ski. It would be electric powered and charged at solar stations. 

The design is still in the works, but two prototypes have been completed, Kemp said. The second prototype, what he calls the Asap, was built on the BBC TV show “Be Your Own Boss.”

Once finished, Kemp hopes to have solar charging stations installed at rescue stations. The crafts could charge in the sun during the day, but the stations could also be used to charge things like radios and phones. Kemp has been very clear about the solar charging station being a future development, however. For now, he is working on finishing the Asap, which will be cheaper to buy than a traditional jet ski. Kemp talked to some rescue stations that said they avoided using jetskis on slow days because it cost so much in fuel.  As such, affordability is a major concern as Kemp finishes out the project.

Since the electric crafts that Kemp has designed will be charged by solar, costs wil be low. He is still working on propulsion, but said the Asap will go faster than someone using a rescue board, maxxing out around 12 mph.  What's more, Asap is smaller and can be transported in the car, eliminating the expense of a trailer.

Eventually Kemp wants the Asap to be at beaches around the world, but his next focus is developing the solar charging stations.

The Asap is expected to be on the market in the next year.