HOW DRONES ARE SAVING LIVES

Drones today are being used in more innovative ways than ever before, and recently drone technology has also become increasingly used to save lives. Over the last year alone at least 65 people were rescued with the assistance of drone technology, and as more first responders begin to integrate the technology into their own operations the number of lives saved is expected to grow to a level where the accounts become almost uncountable, according to a recently released report by DJI. Recently, a new milestone was also marked in public safety drone usage. Four people were rescued by drones in three separate instances bringing the total number of people rescued by drones up to at least 133 people.

Drones and public safety

Emergency crews around the world have begun to utilize drone technology to better plan out responses in emergencies, find victims, and deliver supplies. In one incident, a drone was deployed by a search and rescue crew to spot stranded mountain climbers, while in another case, a drone equipped with a thermal camera helped police track down the victim of a car crash who was eventually discovered to be unconscious in a ditch. Out of the 65 people who were rescued from peril using a drone between May 2017 and April 2018, 22 of the victims were in situations with great risk of death, including being stranded in a body of water or being exposed to extreme weather conditions. 19 were assisted by drones in circumstances presenting great risk to their health and safety, while another incident involved a drone being deployed to spot 24 tourists lost at night on a mountain with no food or water. In this case, rescuers found the tourists with a drone after three hours and needed even more time to carry them to safety. In a situation such as this where every second counted, a drone in the air was able to save time and ultimately help crews prevent potential injury or even death to the victims.