The Little Ripper turned out to be a lifesaver for two Australian swimmers caught in churning surf.
Australian lifeguards were testing a new drone during a practice session at a beach in New South Wales when they received a call about two swimmers caught in 10-foot swells, according to Surf Life Saving New South Wales and The New York Times.
Lifeguard supervisor Jai Sheridan, who was operating the drone, responded and steered it toward the swimmers, releasing a yellow inflatable pod into the water, the Times reported. The swimmers grabbed the pod and were able to navigate safely to shore, Surf Life Saving reported.
The rescue took 70 seconds, Sheridan told the Times.
“The Little Ripper UAV certainly proved itself today it is an amazingly efficient piece of lifesaving equipment and a delight to fly,” Sheridan told Surf Life Saving. “I was able to launch it, fly it to the location, and drop the pod all in about one to two minutes. On a normal day that would have taken our lifeguards a few minutes longer to reach the members of the public.”
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