A LIFE-SAVING device invented by a Horncastle company has helped to prevent a disaster in America.

The Balcan Bell Throwline, invented by Balcan Engineering was used by firefighters in Racine, Wisconsin to prevent a diesel spillage disaster.

The throwline is a plastic capsule attached to a 40-metre line.

The fire crew used it to help pull a rope and boom across a waterway to stop diesel from floating down a stream into Lake Michigan.

Lieutenant Thomas Benner of The Racine Fire Department said: "One of my crew used the throwline to help pull a larger rope across the waterway, which proved to be a fast and efficient way to help put a large boom in place which in turn stopped the diesel fuel from moving down stream into Lake Michigan.

"This was the first time we had used Balcan's Bell Throwline and I was impressed by its role in this incident and its potential use in emergency

responses. "

John Rinfret, managing director of Balcan Engineering and the inventor of the Balcan Emergency Life Line said: "This was an unusual use of the Bell, but it shows the flexibility and wider capability of the device."

For more on this story see this week's Horncastle Target, available now.