At 22 beaches around Spain, General Drones' drones and more than 30 pilots
are collaborating with lifeguards.
An innovative drone lifeguard in Valencia, Spain, prevented a 14-year-old
child from drowning in the water.
This month, the drone lifeguard service, which has been implemented on
beaches around Spain, dropped a life jacket into the water, keeping the
adolescent afloat just as he was about to start sinking, according to its
operators.
The youngster remained afloat thanks to the vest until a physical lifeguard
squad came a little while later.
The child can be seen fighting in the water in the drone footage before
grabbing onto the life vest.
Miguel Angel Pedrero, a drone pilot for General Drones, the company that
makes the technology, stated, "When we got there, what we observed was a
youngster that was in extremely terrible situation, with practically no
energy to keep floating, so I sent over the life vest."
Because of the strong waves, it was a challenging maneuver, but we
eventually succeeded in giving him the vest, which allowed him to float
until the lifeguards arrived on a jet ski.
The 14-year-old was given oxygen by paramedic staff after being saved, and
then he was sent to a nearby hospital.
24 hours later, he was told to go home.
In Sagunto, a village north of Valencia, General Drones began assisting the
Spanish lifeguard team in 2017.
More than 30 pilots and drones are now collaborating with lifeguards at 22
beaches in Spain to provide quick response assistance in the crucial seconds
before lifeguards can physically arrive at the scene of a potential
drowning.
According to Mr. Pedrero, "These extra seconds are crucial in some
situations and also permits the rescue workers to approach the victim more
quietly and gently."
The Royal Spanish Lifesaving and Rescue Federation reports that in the
first half of 2022, there were 140 unintentional drowning fatalities in
Spain, a 55 percent increase over the same time in 2021.
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