Award Recipients

“It’s been a fantastic journey; long may it continue” – Ruth Lee.

The words of the company founder describe a story of humble beginnings and old-fashioned entrepreneurship, followed by a recent transformation into a dynamic, rapidly growing organisation where innovation lies at the heart of its success.

Located in the beautiful Dee Valley, its tranquil location belies the innovative nature of Ruth Lee. Over the last 30 years the company has established itself as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of training manikins, used by search, rescue and care professionals in over 50 countries. Key customers include fire and rescue services, military organisations, airports, coastguards, healthcare providers, offshore operators and a multitude of international search and rescue specialists.

Back in 2016, Ruth Lee Ltd received a request from a Canadian lifeguard, who was frustrated with the traditional ‘disjointed’ training process, which she felt did not accurately replicate a real rescue. Ruth Lee set about creating a manikin that lifeguards could use to complete a full simulated rescue, and the result was the Pool Rescue manikin, which lifeguards can recover from the bottom of the pool, tow to the side and perform a safe extrication from the water.

To ensure the manikin would meet the demands of training, and improve current practises, Ruth Lee consulted with the Royal Lifesaving Society (RLSS UK) who were able to test and provide feedback on several prototypes before the product was launched at the RLSS Annual Conference in 2018. Since then, Pool Rescue manikins have been used by an estimated 8,000-10,000 lifeguards in 25 countries around the globe to improve their lifesaving skills.

The product has been widely promoted at key industry events such as the World Conference on Drowning Prevention; the International Lifesaving Society’s flagship event, with plans to target the US market at the World Waterparks Association Annual Symposium, as well as the National Water Safety Conference & Association of Aquatic Professionals Conference.

Innovation is the heart of Ruth Lee and the company has several exciting projects in the pipeline, which will further enhance their offering and potentially be transformational in the rescue training sector.