A safety device including a support that may be stowed within an enclosure and easily extended for use. One embodiment comprises a support that may act as a handle and a step, a strap, the lower end of which is attached to the support, and a keeper comprising a pouch closable by a flap to form an enclosure. The upper end of the strap is attached to the interior of the keeper, and the keeper may be attached to a vessel or other object via a loop on its rear side. The strap is gathered inside the keeper, with the handle hanging outside the keeper and fixed in position by the closed flap, such that the handle when pulled will cause the flap to open and the strap to extend.