Lifeguards with drones keep beachgoers safe in Australia
Lifeguards with drones keep[mks_highlight color=”#ffff00″]beachgoers[/mks_highlight] (and sharks) safe in [mks_highlight color=”#ffff00″]New South Wales, Australia[/mks_highlight]. The NSW government started the drone initiative in response to an unprecedented spike in shark bites in 2015.
Lifeguards with drones keep beachgoers safe in Australia
The Conversation reports that among various technology trials drones were investigated for the potential to scan the ocean for sharks and keep beachgoers safe. Lifeguards in New South Wales are now increasingly operating drones. A recent survey found that the public supports this idea as it not only protects human beings but keeps the sharks safe as well.
Contrary to many other shark mitigation solutions, drones require very little infrastructure. As an added bonus the unmanned aircraft can also be used for other beach safety services such as assisting with [mks_highlight color=”#ffff00″]Search and Rescue operations[/mks_highlight], [mks_highlight color=”#ffff00″]dropping life vests[/mks_highlight] or floatation devices to swimmers in need, and [mks_highlight color=”#ffff00″]monitoring rip tides[/mks_highlight].
In collaboration with NSW Surf Life Saving, shark surveillance drones have operated on over 18 beaches along the eastern Australian coastline.
Lifeguards manually fly the drones throughout today within-line-of-sight and scan the waters for sharks. If a predator is spotted the drone pilots decide whether it is a threat to public safety and if the alarm needs to be sounded to evacuate people from the water.
During trails that lasted from October 2018 to April 2019, [mks_highlight color=”#ffff00″]350 sharks[/mks_highlight] were spotted, which caused [mks_highlight color=”#ffff00″]48 beach evacuations[/mks_highlight].
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