A fatal motorbike accident hundreds of miles from home left a family with a devastating wait to learn the dreadful fate of their loved one - but now a new service aims to prevent the distress caused by delays in contacting a next of kin.
Middlesbrough-born Tony Byles is the founder of Contact NoK - an emergency contact system that allows vital information to be accessed swiftly via personalised QR codes. He launched the service after the devastating loss of Tony’s brother, Ed, in July.
With his sister-in-law back in England, it took the German authorities days to reach her and the delay in contacting family meant the funeral could only be held two months after he died.
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Tony said: “Losing my brother made me realise how vital it is for emergency services to have access to contacts and information when disaster strikes. I don’t want other families to go through the unbearable distress we endured.”
Tony was born in Middlesbrough and left on a doorstep at six months old. He was fostered before being adopted by Ed’s family. The family moved to Stamford when Tony was aged two, but Tony returned to Middlesbrough when he enrolled at Teesside University as a mature student aged 32. He has since lived in Iceland, London and Africa since.
Contact NoK products include keychains, wristbands, eco-cards, luggage tags or pet charms and can be bought for a one-off payment of £12.99. The Contact NoK system enables emergency services, good samaritans, or first responders to obtain crucial details about the person or pet wearing the product by scanning the QR code on the tag.
Users first register an account on ContactNoK.com with their medical details, emergency contacts, and other vital information. A unique QR code is then generated which links to the user's account.
In an emergency, responders can simply scan the code, which pings the user's location and contacts their designated emergency contact. Information like medical history and permissions is instantly available to aid response. The system uses cutting-edge encryption to ensure data privacy and security.
In addition to aiding first responders, Tony says the company's products can also be used for other purposes, including reuniting lost children with their parents and preventing a pet from going missing.
He said: “Imagine encountering an elderly person out late at night, confused and disoriented. Our products provide a simple and fast solution that helps to guide them back home safely.
“We all need to look out for each other and I hope Contact NoK will help to create safer, more caring communities across the country, as well as honour my brother's memory.”
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