Ocean Technology Systems Recalls Guardian Full-Face Diving Masks Due to Drowning Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Guardian full-face diving masks

Units: About 1,700 in the U.S. and 80 in Canada

Manufacturer: Undersea Systems International Inc. dba Ocean Technology Systems, of Santa Ana, Calif.

Hazard: The purge assembly on the diving mask can disengage from the regulator, resulting in loss of air to the diver. This poses a drowning hazard to the consumer.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received one report of a disengaged assembly. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves Guardian full-face diving masks with serial numbers 9051284 through 10070954. The serial number is printed on the main regulator body. The diving masks were sold in various colors. The Ocean Technology Systems' logo is affixed to the front of the mask.

Sold by: Diving equipment retailers and direct sales nationwide from September 2010 through November 2010 for about $800.

Manufactured in: Taiwan

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the diving masks and contact Ocean Technology Systems for instructions on conducting a test of the regulator and returning the masks for a free repair.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Ocean Technology Systems toll-free at (877) 270-1984 anytime, or visit the firm's website at www.otscomm.com. Consumers can also email the firm at recall@otscomm.com

Note: Health Canada's press release is available at http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1299

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting www.saferproducts.gov

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC's Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov/.