Fisherman Turn Superman with SwellPro: A Life Saved From The Sky
Last week, something extraordinary happened on a beach in Pensacola, Florida - one of SwellPro customers, Andrew Smith, save a girl's life in rip current using the SwellPro FD2 fishing drone. His heroic action is now going viral on social media and receive tremendous coverage by major news media including FOX and CNN. We are honored to have played even a small role in that rescue.
By the time Andrew noticed the teenage girl being swept away by a strong rip current, there were no lifeguards on duty. No time to wait. She was alone, exhausted, and drifting further out to sea.
Andrew was very quick-thinking. He attached a floatation device to his SwellPro Fisherman Max FD2 drone, and flew it out over the waves toward the struggling swimmer. With several attempts, watching the drone's live footage and giving subtle adjustment of the drone's position, Andrew successfully landed the floatation device near the girl. She held on until Escambia County Fire Rescue arrived to bring her safely back to shore.
Is Drone the Future of Surf Rescue?
The SwellPro Fisherman FD2 was engineered for reliability in the harshest conditions. Waterproof design, comes with payload release mechanism and a 4K camera, the FD2 was built for fishing — but as Andrew showed us, it can do so much more.
Following the incident, local EMS even asked Andrew about the drone and how it worked in rescue operations. Under the social media videos and several news articles, I've seen many comments suggest that drone should become a standard for life guards. Maybe the future of drone-based water rescue isn't far.
You could reach out to Mr. Tony at tony@swellpro.com for more insider information about how drone technology can be used for saving lives.
