Patent ID: 7017709

Claim:
A marine safety ladder apparatus for use in combination with a platform structure located adjacent to and normally above a body of water, said ladder apparatus comprising: a support bracket for attaching to the platform structure; a ladder including a pair of elongate side rails pivotably mounted to said support bracket proximate respective upper ends of said rails and a series of transverse steps extending between and interconnecting said side rails said support bracket carrying a pivot mechanism to which said side rails are pivotably mounted, said ladder being pivotable through the water between raised and lowered conditions and further being buoyant within the water such that the ladder floats on the upper surface of the water when the water is above a threshold level and less than a predetermined external downward force is applied to a lower portion of the ladder; said lower portion of said ladder pivoting downwardly into the lowered condition in response to at least one of the water level dropping to or below the threshold level and said predetermined external downward force being applied thereto, whereby at least a portion of said ladder is submerged when the water level is above the threshold level and the predetermined external downward force is applied thereto; and a stop component attached to said bracket for limiting downward pivoting movement of said ladder into the lowered condition such that said ladder extends at a non-vertical angle relative to the upper surface of the water wherein said stop component includes an elongate stop member carried by said support bracket and extending generally parallel to said pivot shaft.