In 1960, David Marshall’s life changed forever in the shark-infested waters of the South Pacific.

Surviving a traumatic ‘man-overboard’ experience, and prompted by the continuous loss of life at sea, he embarked on a quest, dedicated to inventing a rescue beacon and improving maritime safety.

A tortuous, life long struggle followed in the face of endless difficulty, before success was eventually achieved. Battles against devious American investors, unsupportive banks and British Government bureaucracy were just some of the hurdles he had to overcome.

Today David Marshall’s beacon has helped to save thousands of lives. Now aged 84, Dave told Fishing News recently how from that day in 1960, when he was spotted by a passing supply vessel just in time, he dedicated his life to inventing a sea rescue beacon. For 50 years, his personal locator beacon, in its various incarnations, has transformed maritime safety.

“It was a promise I made to my soul,” he recalled. “I determined myself that no one should go through what I did.”

His remarkable story is told in his autobiography The Beacon Man and to celebrate the book being updated and reissued, we have an incredible SIX copies to give away!

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

The closing date is Monday, 23 September, when the winners’ names will be picked at random. Terms and conditions can be found here.

Read our full article with David Marshall by Brian W Lavery in the latest issue of Fishing News. Buy a single copy for just £3.50 here or subscribe here.

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