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Drowning teenager saved by drone off Spanish coast
CGTN
01:19

A pioneering drone lifeguard service rolled out across Spanish beaches saved the life of a 14-year-old boy this month as he struggled against a powerful tide off a beach in Valencia, its operators have said.

The drone dropped a life vest into the sea that could keep the teenager afloat just as he started to sink below the waves until a lifeguard team arrived.

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

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"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," Pedrero told Reuters.

Valencia-based General Drones started supporting Spanish lifeguard staff in 2017 in the town of Sagunto, just north of Valencia.

Now, it has more than 30 pilots working with the lifeguards at 22 beaches across Spain, providing rapid reaction support in the critical moments of a potential drowning before lifeguards can physically reach the scene.

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

After being rescued, the 14-year-old, who has not been identified, was provided with oxygen by the ambulance personnel and then sent to a local hospital. He was sent home 24 hours later.

A total of 140 people have died from accidental drowning in Spain in the first six months of 2022, 55 percent more than in the same period of 2021, according to the Royal Spanish Lifesaving and Rescue Federation.

Source(s): Reuters

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