The Den Helder Rescue Brigade is starting a pilot project to use rescue drones to detect mouse currents and track down drowning people. This is a project of the Maritime Engineering Technologies Innovation Park (METIP) Noord-Holland. This is an initiative of several parties that will start in May.
Type of drone
The test flights will be conducted with a DJI M300 multirotor drone. It will be examined at a later stage whether the Autel Dragonfish can be put for this purpose. This concerns a VTOL fixed-wing drone with a flight range of tens of kilometers. Read the whole message and more about the technique at nhn.nl.
Use of rescue drones works
In several other countries, the use of drones by rescue brigades is already fairly common. For example, in 2018 the Australian Rescue Brigade tracked down two swimmers with a rescue drone. They were about 700 meters from the coast but could be located within minutes thanks to the drone.
Tracing or also helping?
We also see images that drones can deliver and communicate parcels. A message can then be conveyed via the speaker of a drone. This could also offer perspective for the rescue drones. We are thinking of a drone that, for example, throws a lifebuoy and / or communicates with people in need on the water.
