Stamford man creates products to help contact next of kin in an emergency
A biker who died hundreds of miles from home was the inspiration for a new product designed to trace family members in an emergency.
It took two days for the police to contact Ed Byles’ next of kin after he was killed in a motorbike accident in Germany this summer.
The scrap of paper he was carrying in his wallet had out-of-date contact details which meant the authorities took longer than usual to notify his wife Lynda, who was at home in Stamford.
The delay played on the mind of his brother Tony Byles, who said: “It troubled me to think Ed had been lying in a hospital morgue in Germany for two days and no one knew he was there. Lynda was also very upset by it.”
Ed and Lynda often travelled across Europe together by motorbike, but this summer he had chosen to go alone. The 66-year-old had an accident on a German autobahn on July 10 when his bike veered into the central reservation.
The cause of the crash remains a mystery. Other drivers rushed to help and an air ambulance was scrambled, but Ed died on his way to hospital. The police finally made contact with Lynda two days later.
Tony, 59, 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.”
Within days of losing Ed, who worked as a lorry driver for CS Ellis, Tony woke in the middle of the night and started to formulate an idea. Having studied IT as a mature student, he began to think about how QR codes could be used to share personal details in an emergency. He drafted plans for a range of products including keyrings, cards and wristbands which are now available to buy.
The system allows users to set up an account online and upload any information which is relevant to them. Emergency services or members of the public can then obtain crucial medical and emergency contact details by scanning QR codes on the items.
The QR tags can also be attached to luggage or worn by children and pets to help reunite them with family if they get lost.
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Tony, who works as a delivery driver for Evri, said: “I created Contact NoK to ensure help is just a scan away.
“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.
“If it can help people, good has come out of tragedy.”
The basic Contact NoK products cost from £5 and are available to buy online at www.contactnok.com
Subscription plans are also available which give users the option to add more detail to their accounts.
