Drone ‘Lifeguard’ Saves 14-Year-Old Boy From Drowning At Spanish Beach

If you were left haunted by recent reports of a chess robot breaking a seven-year-old’s finger during a tournament, here’s a story on artificial intelligence with a better ending.

Despite the pitfalls of technology, there’s no doubt it can do some good too, like in this instance when a drone “lifeguard” saved a 14-year-old boy from drowning at a beach in Valencia, Spain. 

According to Live Mint, the drone had managed to get a vest to the teenager before human lifeguards could reach him, allowing him to keep afloat instead of sinking beneath the waves. 

As per Sky News, the company operating the gadgets, General Drones, has been providing lifeguard support since 2017, with a fleet of over 30 drones and pilots working with beach lifeguards at over 22 spots across the country. 

Migeul Angel Pedrero, the drone pilot who sent over the vest, said that the extra seconds in which a drone can reach a swimmer before a human can are vital, and at the same time enables the rescue teams to approach the individual “more calmly and cautiously.” 

Fortunately, thanks to the swift response, the boy was successfully rescued, and he was sent to a local hospital to have possible injuries looked into before heading home 24 hours later.

Get a glimpse of the rescue in action below.

A lifeguard drone saved the life of a 14-year-old caught in a powerful tide off a beach in Valencia, Spain, moments before rescue crews arrived. https://t.co/7DqUY61oDp pic.twitter.com/qZmfGfMjS9

— CNN (@CNN) July 25, 2022

[via Live Mint and General Drones, cover image via General Drones]