Two youths saved from drowning with a drone equipped with Restube
Again and again swimmers get into dangerous situations. The German Red Cross in Mecklenburg- Vorpommern is starting to use drones equipped with Restube buoys. Last week a surf life saving drone saved 2 youths from drowning. The swimmers aged 15 and 17 got into trouble on the New South Wales coast near Lennox Head. Australian surf life savers were in the middle of flight training when the two were discovered 700m out to sea. Within minutes the pilot had the Drone above the troubled swimmers and deployed the buoyancy device, which inflated upon contact with water.Thanks to the buoyancy both were able to reach the beach safely.
For the Karlsruhe start up RESTUBE the deployment of a Restube buoy via a drone was the logical development following the existing RESTUBE system, which water lovers can wear whenever they are in or near water. Back in 2008, as part of a study project at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology(KIT), Restube founder Christopher Fuhrhop developed the idea to use drones for water rescue. Aproto type was created. Today, 10 years later with advanced technology this idea has become reality.
Across the world life savers, drone manufacturers and Restube are working on that idea that has proven itself in a real-life scenario in Australia. The Deputy Premier of New South Wales John Barilaro talks of a historical Rescue: ”Never before has a Drone fitted with a flotation device been used to rescue swimmers like this.”
Even in Germany tests at the coast, in lakes and rivers were successfully. The German Red Cross in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will be the first to start a pilot-project involving 15 Drones equipped with Restube buoys. The first 20 Pilots are in training and other rescue organizations will follow.
The Drone enables the rescuer to place as first aid a Restube buoy precisely to the person in need. Within a few years life saving drones at beaches and lakes could become part of everyday life. This new technology will help to save more lives.
