Drones can be a divisive subject, but they do have their uses (beyond causing mass panic). Professional unpiloted aerial vehicles (UAVs) are already instrumental in conservation efforts and engineering projects, but even personal use drones do more than recording cool aerial shots of your vacation. In the case of a recent emergency in Florida, one man’s drone helped save a teenager’s life.

Earlier this month, amateur shark fisherman Andrew Smith was convinced by a friend to come with them to Pensacola Beach after getting off from work. But within 10 minutes of arriving, the scene went from a casual afternoon by the water to a full-fledged emergency.

“I was sitting there and this girl came running asking if anybody could swim,” Smith told the local news outlet WSVN. “I said ‘no I absolutely could not swim’, and she was running and screaming and nobody could swim.”

Bystanders soon learned that the teen’s friend had been swept out to sea by a rip current. Rip currents are powerful, localized offshore currents created when wind and breaking waves push surface water towards land. The resultant slight water level rise near the shore causes excess water to flow back into the sea via the path of least resistance. Slightly deeper areas in a sand bar or reef can exacerbate the force, dragging objects or people out through the gap.

Rip currents are often confused with rip tides or undertows, none of which actually pull you downward. Instead, they are strongest near the water’s surface and carry you beyond the line of breaking waves. NOAA estimates an average of 76 people drowned from rip currents per year off US shores between 2015 and 2024.

With the situation growing more serious by the moment, Smith quickly came up with an idea. He attached a life preserver to the drone he had brought with him, and began piloting it out towards the drowning girl. Strong winds made his first rescue attempt difficult.

“It was a terrible miss,” he recounted. “I released it too early, it was really windy. It wasn’t close at all.”

The girl had been struggling against the currents for around five minutes by that point. Unfortunately, Smith only had a single flotation device left nearby to try again.

“That was it, that was the last opportunity we were gonna have.”

After adjusting for the wind, he gave it another shot. This time, the drop was much more accurate—the teenager was able to grab the life preserver and hang on for another few minutes until emergency responders arrived.

“If it wasn’t for that second drop, she wouldn’t have made it. The EMS said she wouldn’t have made it,” said Smith.

After receiving a check-up, EMS confirmed the girl sustained no serious injuries and was able to go home—but not before her dad spoke with Smith.

“He talked to me for like five minutes, called me his guardian angel and thanked me and stuff. It was pretty crazy,” he said.

For anyone who finds themselves stuck in a rip current without the prospect of a drone-assisted rescue, the best bet is to resist panicking or fighting against the waters. Instead, experts recommend attempting to swim across the current—generally parallel to the shore. Rip currents usually aren’t very wide, so it’s often possible to paddle out of its pull this way. Another option may be to allow the current to pull you past the breaking waves. Rip currents dissipate from there, and you can then either begin swimming to shore or tread while waiting for a lifeguard or EMS responder to arrive.

 

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