Take a look on boating trips, and the person at the helm is probably not wearing the red lanyard attached to the kill switch that shuts off the engine if the operator falls overboard.

The reason is that the lanyard inconveniently restricts the operator’s movement, the folks at Autotether say.

Autotether is a solution.

It’s an electronic system that uses a small, wireless sensor that clips on the boater either to kill the engine or sound an alarm if the wearer falls overboard.

Of course, the person at the helm should use Autotether to shut off the engine if he or she takes a dunk.

But passengers might want to use Autotether only to sound the alarm if they end up in the drink.

A receiver is connected to the boat’s ignition system by easily attaching it where the red lanyard is normally attached to the kill switch.

The sensor transmits radio waves to the receiver.

If the sensor ends up under water, the engine switches off and/or the alarm sounds, because water prevents radio waves from transmitting.

A button on the sensor can also be pressed to stop the radio waves.

The sensor sends the waves up to 150 feet, so if the wearer strays farther, the kill switch and/or alarm are also triggered.

Therefore Autotether can also be used for other purposes, like if a parent with children at the beach wants the alarm to sound if the kids either end up in the water or stray too far.

Up to four people, such as the boat operator and three passengers, can use the Autotether system at once.

For more info, visit the Autotether web site.