There is a new superhero in town…
Beach goers at Crantock beach on the outskirts of Newquay are being watched from the skies this summer. In a collaborative trial between the RNLI and the Royal Life Saving Society UK.
The trial, called the Emergency Response Drone Pilot Rescue Service, is able to find and observe people in the ocean, and verbally communicate with water users. It also is able to carry life saving equipment such as rescue tubes, and deploy them accurately on demand.
Peter Dawes, Lifeguard operations manager at the RNLI, said: “The River Gannel that runs through the middle of Crantock Beach makes access across the broad expanse of beach and to the water’s edge difficult for our patrol vehicles…. The drone will allow the lifeguards to undertake rapid observations across a wide area, and the integrated speaker system allows the lifeguards to help inform and give proactive safety advice to the public”.
In an area such as Cornwall where we rely so heavily on the RNLI to patrol our beaches and keep water users safe, this Emergency Response Drone Pilot Rescue Service could be a game changer. We look forward to hearing more about this project as it develops and is rolled out…
It just proves that not all superheroes wear cloaks!
