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Comment by Xylakant | Hacker News Reader

I’m amazed by the idea that providing escape capsules would have saved many lives. The Christmas tsunami caused about 230 000 fatalities in a densely populated area. People didn’t even get to higher ground. Where are you going to store the hundreds of thousands capsules that you’d need to even make a dent in that number. And how will people get into those capsules within minutes of the warning?

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And who is going to find all those capsuled people and rescue them? Rescuers will be swamped with hundreds of thousands of non-capsuled people who should logically take priority. Depending on how these things float, if they get swept out to sea, you might need a ship with a crane to lift the capsule aboard. Does it float nicely with the hatch open or do you have to stay sealed up to stay afloat? Can you float with air ports open or do all of you have to stay breathing that scuba tank in the photo; how long will that last? What will many -- thousands? -- of EPIRBs all going off at once do to the SAR system?

there is only one way to find out

I am reminded of the earthquake detecting bed that drops you into its interior and closes you in a reinforced bed coffin.

Did Wallace design it? Sounds a lot like his early morning routine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGSyw2dHhrc

I don't think that is the business model: there will be a small percentage of people able to afford these, which will have transponders and 'priority rescue' status from emergency services, as part of the subscription package.

Yes, sure. But even that wouldn’t work - those people still need to have advanced warning and be close to a capsule. But if you’re close to a capsule, then you’re likely close to home and you can just build a flood safe room in your house.

Escape capsules is probably over complicating things. An inflatable life raft would probably be more practical. You can get them with gas cylinders so they inflate in a few seconds.

I can't imagine this would work. Can you not remember the footage of the wall of houses/cars/boats/trees/etc moving across the landscape? Your raft is getting flattened.

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