Larry Richardson November 3, 2018
Innovative life-saving drone tech could be coming to a beach near you. Delray Beach Ocean Rescue in Florida is the first lifeguard team in the United States to watch a demonstration of new drone technology designed to assist lifeguards in a rescue. In January 2018, the Westpac Little Ripper Lifesaver drone helped save two teenage boys caught in wild surf off Lennox Beach in Australia. Now, the company that makes the rescue drones is bringing the lifesaving technology to the US.
On Friday, November 2, 2018, Eddie Bennet, CEO of Australia-based The Ripper Group International, led his crew in piloting two drones in blustery conditions with moderate surf. The pilots located swimmers in less than a minute and dropped rescue pods that inflated on contact with the water. In an actual emergency, the drones would be used to locate the victims, drop rescue pods and monitor their condition until lifeguards could reach them.
Ripper Group engineers take off-the-shelf DJI drones and modify them. All feature cameras and the system that releases the rescue pods. The larger drone also has a powerful speaker and siren. The company also has a division that trains first-responders in their use.
Thank you to Delray Beach Ocean Rescue and The Ripper Group International for the opportunity to record this event. You can find out more about The Ripper Group International at littleripper.com.
Always good to see the U.S. looking at ne and innovative life-saving drone technology. I only wonder if any of the lifesaving agencies in the U.S. are utilizing drones now.
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