Flotation device demonstration

When it comes to enjoying one of the town's most well known features - the hot springs - those with conditions that require them to be on oxygen are at something of a disadvantage. They're often confined to only dipping their feet in, or staying near the side of the pool so as to keep their oxygen tanks dry.

During the Big Horn Basin Folk Festival on Saturday, Aug. 3, Milton Schenk will give a demonstration at Hellie's TePee Pools on a device that could give oxygen users a lot more freedom in the pools.

The Wyoming State Captain of the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Board, Schenk will use the inside pools to show how the OxyFloat device works. The design is fairly simple. A disc of buoyant material has a couple small "pool noodles" attached to it with straps. The space between the noodles allows enough room for a small tank - such as the M4 (A), ML-6, M6 (B), M7 or M9 (C) models - to fit between them, and the straps also keep the tank in place.

The end result is a portable, floatable personal oxygen system that provides people with more freedom when they're in the water. Schenk noted the device grants people with COPD and other conditions that require oxygen use "the same freedom as everybody else."

For more information on the OxyFloat or the upcoming demonstration, call Schenk at 307-431-8993.