Boy Drowning In Ocean Is Saved By A Drone Lifeguard

A drone lifeguard flying over Port Sagunto, Valencia, saved a 14-year-old boy from drowning in the ocean.

Lifeguard teams in Port Sagunto sent the drone out over the ocean to rescue the young boy who was caught in a powerful riptide.

The drone camera shows footage of the boy bobbing under the crashing waves. The drone is able to drop a life vest for the boy to hold onto while the real lifeguards were on the way with their jetski.

It was tricky at first to grab the jacket because of the crazy waves, but the boy managed to get it and put it on before two lifeguards reached him.

The boy was hospitalized after swallowing large amounts of water but he was later discharged.

Sagunto is the first beach in the world to use lifeguard drones. These drones are run by Valencia-based tech firm General Drones and are made to support lifeguard rescues.

According to an RTVE report, the drones can fly at 15 meters per second, which is 33 miles per hour.

The drones are useful for getting lifejackets to victims in record time, dropping the floatation device from above before the real guards are able to perform the rescue.

Drone pilot for General Drones, Miguel Angel Pedrero, told Reuters: "When we arrived, what we saw was a kid that was already in quite a bad condition with almost no energy to keep floating, so I sent over the lifejacket. Because of the heavy waves, it was a complicated maneuver, but we finally managed to give him the vest and he could float until the lifeguards reached him by jet ski. These extra seconds are vital in some cases and also allow the rescue teams to approach the person more calmly and cautiously."

General Drones has more than 30 pilots and drones working across 22 beaches in Valencia Spain.

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