The lifesaving potential of drones has been highlighted time and time again. Several drones have been created for rescue services so that they can be used in emergency situations to get help to those in need as soon as possible before first responders arrive. Two teenage swimmers in Australia will certainly be thankful that this technology exists as they were rescued from rough seas by a drone while lifeguards were still training to use them.
The teenage swimmers were caught out of their depth off the coat of Lennox Head, New South Wales, Australia. Someone in the crowd spotted them struggling in the heavy surf about 2,300ft offshore.
The lifeguards were being trained on using the drone to help out in rescue situations such as the one that had materialized on that day. They instantly sent the drone to drop an inflatable rescue pod which helped the teenagers return to share safe and sound.
The rescue was praised by the state’s deputy premier John Barilaro who said that “Never before has a drone fitted with a flotation device been used to rescue swimmers like this.”
It took the lifeguards about two minutes to launch the drone and fly it to the site where the teenagers where facing difficulties against the surf. If the drone had not been used, the lifeguards estimate that it would have taken easily thrice as long to reach the teenagers.