Water Emergency Training was incorporated in 2017 by Executive Director, Benjamin Rayner. The sole mission of WET is to prevent drownings. Drowning is among the leading causes of death for children 14 and under and for males in their teens and twenties. The consequences of a drowning are devastating, often even if the victim survives. Most drownings in the US are avoidable and WET is dedicated to preventing these tragedies.
Rayner has decades of water experience; he was a survival instructor and safety industry writer and researcher. He has numerous technical and medical certifications including those in water safety, boating safety, safety diving, sea survival, land survival and underwater egress. He has trained thousands of students from the military and law enforcement community in these disciplines, and now WET can bring this training to the general public. Rayner is also an award winning journalist, including the CT Society of Professional Journalists award for Investigative Journalism. His articles have been featured in Sailing magazine, AirBeat magazine, Atlantic Coast Fisheries News, The New London Day, The RI Saltwater Anglers Asso., and The Block Island Times.