Norsafe set a new world record on June 25, 2015, when the 70-passenger GES50 MKIII was dropped from 40 meters with 10 persons on board in Norway. A staffed lifeboat has never before been dropped from this height.
The free fall model used was a Norsafe GES50 MKIII with a capacity of 70 passengers. Norsafe also holds the world record for highest drop without passengers on board. This record is 66.8 meters, and the drop was carried out with a Norsafe GES52, the largest free-fall lifeboat currently built by Norsafe.
Norsafe’s newly opened training and test center in Rosendal, Norway is capable of performing such unique drop tests. The new tower for free fall boats is 60 meters high and can perform drops up to 40 meters with crew on board. Accordingly, standard training drops utilizing free-fall lifeboats are arranged from 19 meters high.
