Officials using drones in Wrightsville Beach water rescues
The Wrightsville Beach Fire Department is testing a drone to see if it can decrease response times to help a swimmer in distress versus a traditional lifeguard.
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The drone would help monitor the seas from above, assist in search and rescue by scanning down with a camera and drop a flotation device down to a swimmer who would be pulled to safety by a rope.
Officials have been testing the use of the drones for the past three months, but the new tool will not be used to replace lifeguards.
“With the current technology, nothing beats a lifeguard. That is going to be your No. 1 to prevent drownings, and statistics clearly prove that what we are looking at is a resource to assist them or provide rescue when they are not on the stands or working,” said Sam Profitt with the Wrightsville Fire Department.
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