SEATRACing
A Determination to Promote Autonomy
How SeatracUSA was Born
It was more than 45 years ago when my sister-in-law Rhea first developed Multiple Sclerosis (MS). It began with just a couple of seemingly clumsy falls & then progressed over the years to the use of a cane, then a walker finally to a wheelchair. Throughout this time, one of her favorite things was my in-laws "Nana & Pop" renting a beach house for a month on Connecticut's Long Island Sound for the entire extended family which was so important to them. As the years progressed along with Rhea's MS it became apparent that we needed to get closer to the beach. As it happened, fate provided Pop with some financial success which allowed him to purchase a home across the street from a private beach. However, as great as it was Rhea was unable to walk sometimes even with two of our family on either side to keep her standing; so, we would carry her across the sandy beach & into the water. Finally, she had "Freedom & Independence" for the first time & could enjoy one of her favorite forms of relaxation- swimming. Unfortunately, it was several years after this that she succumbed to her illness.
In October 2021 while watching a science & technology segment on Euronews (The CNN of Europe out of France) just with the TV operating as background noise all of sudden my ears perked up when the reporter spoke about a device that autonomously takes wheelchair users from the beach "INTO" the water! I couldn't believe what I heard & saw. Immediately, all the years of Rhea's difficulty came to mind & I knew it was meant for me to find out more about this technology & help other. After some Google searching, I found the company Seatrac in Greece & began emailing back & forth to get more information about the device, how it works, where it is located & the whole backstory. I was able to speak to the owner, engineer Ignatios Fotiou & I began video chatting with him. One thing led to another & as I had recently sold the majority of my 50-year-old manufacturing company to my two children I was not one for sitting around.
After doing extensive research it became apparent that no other device like this existed in the world other than those that had been provided since 2012 throughout Greece & the Mediterranean. It was patented in Greece, The European Union & the USA
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There were no beaches in the Western Hemisphere that were fully accessible let alone allowing operation autonomously for wheelchair users or those with mobility challenges. So, I started SeatracUSA representing all the Seatrac devices or a total solution to beach access.
TOBEA is the parent company of the Seatrac autonomous technology which was created by the founder Ignatios Fotiou. While he was in engineering school he met another student not in engineering who was injured years earlier in an automobile accident & became paralyzed from the waist down. One day they discussed his love of going to the beach but how difficult it was not only to get friends or family to take him but the lack of "Freedom & Independence" having to rely on others. So, with that conversation the idea of Ignatios coming up with a device to change the way wheelchair users & those with mobility challenges was born & about 2 years later in 2012 the first Seatrac was born & since then more than 190 have been deployed throughout the Mediterranean.
Seatrac represents this to all those who need & deserve access to the beach & water like my late sister-in-law Rhea
R - Recreation
H - Health
E - Exercise
A - Absolute fun
- Brian Bergman
What is SEATRAC?
SEATRAC is a free service that offers unassisted sea access to people with disabilities and mobility issues. It is an innovative, technological assistant that promotes autonomy, quality, and wellness in everyday life. It encourages integration and inclusion of all members of society. It allows caretakers and families of people with disabilities to enjoy beachgoing without physical hassle. SEATRAC helps people with mobility issues to travel, have fun, be independent! SEATRAC is composed of a fixed track mechanism in which a wheelchair can be moved in and out of the water. SEATRAC is environmentally friendly as it utilizes solar energy as its only power source.
Beach Locations can be found here:
Stay tuned for location maps of SEATRAC enabled beaches and water locations.
(Coming Soon to a Beach near you!)
Finding SEATRAC
This is one of our favorite sections because we get to show the engineering creativity. We want to highlight some things though that we think are super unique.
32 Square Feet. Imagine that space. That’s all it takes to store a SEATRAC.
