Drone saves life of a drowning boy at Spanish beach

A drone lifeguard has saved a life of a drowing 14-year-old boy in Valencia, Spain. As the boy struggled against powerful waves off the beach, the drone dropped a lifejacket with the help of which the boy was able to stay afloat till a physical lifeguard team arrived at the scene.

"When we arrived what we saw was a kid that was in very bad shape, with almost no energy to keep floating, so I sent over the life vest," Miguel Angel Pedrero, drone pilot for General Drones, the firm that supplies the technology, told Reuters.

"Because of the heavy waves it was a complicated manoeuvre, but we finally managed to give him the vest and he could float until the lifeguards reached him by jet ski."

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General Drones is a Valencia-based company. It started supporting Spanish lifeguard staff in 2017 in Sagunto, a town just north of Valencia. Now, it has more than 30 pilots and their drones working with the lifeguards at 22 beaches across Spain. The teams provide rapid reaction support during moments before lifeguards can phtsically reach the person who is drowning.

"These extra seconds are vital in some cases and also allows the rescue teams to approach the person more calmly and cautiously," Pedrero added.

The 14-year-old boy has not been identified. After his rescue, the boy was sent to local hospital. He was provided oxygen in the ambulance. The boy was sent home after 24 hours

According to numbers with Royal Spanish Lifesaving and Rescue Federation, 140 people died due to drowning in first six months of this year alone. The number is 55 per cent more than that during the same period last year.

(With inputs from agencies)

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