Life-saving drones being trialled in Cornwall
The Royal Life Saving Society UK and RNLI have teamed up
Last updated 8th Aug 2023
Life-saving new technology is being trialled on a Cornish beach.
Crantock's lifeguards are the first in the UK to use drones to help monitor the beach and prevent accidents.
The drone has a speaker to give warnings to swimmers and even has the potential to deploy items like inflatables if someone needs help.
The trial is being carried out by The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS) and the RNLI.
Robert Gofton, CEO of the RLSS, describes it as "ground-breaking": "The theory of using a drone in this situation has never been done before in the UK.
"The short-term feedback is that there is a place and there potentially could be a place for drones on a number of beaches going forward, so it's exciting times."
The drones fly up to 25mph and can fly in 30mph winds, they're also waterproof.
Robert adds: "Technology never switches off, it never gets distracted, it's constantly monitoring. For me, technology opens the window of opportunity in terms of successful rescues."