DW: Drones are saving lives on Spanish beaches

The images from the rescue operation in July are impressive. They show a 15-year-old struggling in the waves. The drone flies closer and drops a life preserver, similar to life preservers on airplanes.

In this particular case, two young men almost drowned. The girl had already swallowed a lot of water, a lifeguard told Spanish television.

But with the drone supporting the boy, lifeguards were able to immediately attend to the girl.

It was not the first time a rescue drone was used. Last year drones helped prevent worse situations in at least six cases. But then only ten drones were on different beaches in the region of Valencia in a test operation. Today is twenty. The soccer-ball-sized, orange-colored unmanned aircraft are controlled by trained drone pilots.

Faster the drone to the rescue

Mikel Angel Pederer is one of them. The bet is some seconds that are decisive, as he says.

Lifeguards can take action more calmly and do not need to put themselves in danger unnecessarily. Adrian Plaza is the head of the company that developed the rescue drone: “We lower the help from a height of three meters, the air ducts stay above the water and the lifeguards come with the jet ski in a controlled manner.”

The drone can catch a potential drowning in just 30 seconds, lifeguards need up to two and a half minutes, depending on the situation.

Drones are also used on other beaches, in other areas of Spain, but so far only for surveillance. But after the positive experiences in Valencia, this could soon change.

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