Cork life jacket
Chaleco salvavidas de corcho
- Date
- 1854 · confidence low
- Place
- London, England, United Kingdom
- Credited to
- Captain Ward (RNLI)
- Field
- Movement
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A vest with cork blocks worn on chest and back to stay afloat. It is credited to Captain Ward for RNLI lifeboat crews.
Earlier cork belts and vests existed (whalers and 18th-century rescue boats); the attribution to Captain Ward and the 1854 date are those given by tradition.
What it led to
- personal flotation for rescue crews
- kapok and foam life jackets
- life jacket carriage requirements in safety rules