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Thanks for sharing, I live a few km away from the spot and didn't hear. It's very fortunate that they managed to alert the lifeguard, because in most cases drow

Thanks for sharing, I live a few km away from the spot and didn't hear. It's very fortunate that they managed to alert the lifeguard, because in most cases drowning is silent and discreet [1], unlike the movies. I wonder if either a patrolling drone or a onshore hi-res camera could use ML to recognize the signs of drowning and alert the lifeguard in case the person in distress is unable to do so, as usually happens. --- [1] https://www.popsci.com/identify-prevent-drowning https://www.popsci.com/identify-prevent-drowning

noja 8y ago
Once there are more safety drones, people will get used to indicating to them that they need help. The Black Mirror version is that the drone is sponsored by a tv channel that prolongs the rescue for maximum drama.
personlurking 8y ago
I'd like to see it used for shark detection too. Maybe the drone could drop an anti-shark device into the water near any swimmers who are too close to a shark, according to the drone's aerial view. Adding an audio advisory would help too.
- allthenews 8y ago
  Considering the extreme rarity of shark attacks, I imagine those resources would be better spent elsewhere. https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/trends/frequency-rates/world/ https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/trends/frequ...
  - everdev 8y ago
    I bet you'd see a positive ROI given the profitability of other safety devices. So many parents would pay an extra $5 to be at a drone shark patrolled beach.
    - mrfusion 8y ago
      I’d buy one to bring to the beach with me.
    - brandonjm 8y ago
      In Australia there have been talks of culling sharks or putting up massive nets along beaches. A deployable distraction or deterrent against sharks would probably be more cost effective.
- freddie_mercury 8y ago
  They already do use drones for shark detection.
  - exhilaration 8y ago
    That's right, here's an article on the same site: http://www.thedrive.com/aerial/16913/drones-in-australia-help-surfers-keep-away-from-sharks http://www.thedrive.com/aerial/16913/drones-in-australia-hel...
tgb 8y ago
The "drowning is silent and discreet" fact isn't very relevant here - no one was drowning, they were just at risk of tiring out and starting to drown in the near future. A flotation device delivered by drone would have to get quite lucky to help someone who was already drowning, while here the woman involved helps position the flotation device.
- YeGoblynQueenne 8y ago
  The woman puts on the lifejacket herself, but she's being held afloat by the man next to her. She doesn't seem able to kep herself afloat- the waves keep washing over her and she can hardly keep her head above them even with the lifejacket on.
  - tgb 8y ago
    Yes, I'm just saying that the drone was not involved in rescuing someone who was already drowning and there was no difficulty alerting the life guard because she was exhausted and out too far rather than unable to easily breathe. The dangers here were quite different than the commenter I replied to was bringing up.
  - sandworm101 8y ago
    No. Look closely. This is very shallow water. Some people are standing between waves. Im not sure we have the full story. She seems simply exhausted or hypothermic. A jetski also arrives almost immediately. The first thing i noticed about her was that she was far to high in the water to be floating. He chest is visible above the surface. Nobody, even with help, can maintain that for more than a couple seconds. She is standing. (Small waves breaking + murky water also means shallow.)
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
    - YeGoblynQueenne 8y ago
      There's a man holding her up, that's why she's high on the water.

noja 8y ago

Once there are more safety drones, people will get used to indicating to them that they need help. The Black Mirror version is that the drone is sponsored by a tv channel that prolongs the rescue for maximum drama.

personlurking 8y ago

I'd like to see it used for shark detection too. Maybe the drone could drop an anti-shark device into the water near any swimmers who are too close to a shark, according to the drone's aerial view. Adding an audio advisory would help too.

allthenews 8y ago
Considering the extreme rarity of shark attacks, I imagine those resources would be better spent elsewhere. https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/trends/frequency-rates/world/ https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/trends/frequ...
- everdev 8y ago
  I bet you'd see a positive ROI given the profitability of other safety devices. So many parents would pay an extra $5 to be at a drone shark patrolled beach.
  - mrfusion 8y ago
    I’d buy one to bring to the beach with me.
  - brandonjm 8y ago
    In Australia there have been talks of culling sharks or putting up massive nets along beaches. A deployable distraction or deterrent against sharks would probably be more cost effective.
freddie_mercury 8y ago
They already do use drones for shark detection.
- exhilaration 8y ago
  That's right, here's an article on the same site: http://www.thedrive.com/aerial/16913/drones-in-australia-help-surfers-keep-away-from-sharks http://www.thedrive.com/aerial/16913/drones-in-australia-hel...

tgb 8y ago

The "drowning is silent and discreet" fact isn't very relevant here - no one was drowning, they were just at risk of tiring out and starting to drown in the near future. A flotation device delivered by drone would have to get quite lucky to help someone who was already drowning, while here the woman involved helps position the flotation device.

YeGoblynQueenne 8y ago
The woman puts on the lifejacket herself, but she's being held afloat by the man next to her. She doesn't seem able to kep herself afloat- the waves keep washing over her and she can hardly keep her head above them even with the lifejacket on.
- tgb 8y ago
  Yes, I'm just saying that the drone was not involved in rescuing someone who was already drowning and there was no difficulty alerting the life guard because she was exhausted and out too far rather than unable to easily breathe. The dangers here were quite different than the commenter I replied to was bringing up.
- sandworm101 8y ago
  No. Look closely. This is very shallow water. Some people are standing between waves. Im not sure we have the full story. She seems simply exhausted or hypothermic. A jetski also arrives almost immediately. The first thing i noticed about her was that she was far to high in the water to be floating. He chest is visible above the surface. Nobody, even with help, can maintain that for more than a couple seconds. She is standing. (Small waves breaking + murky water also means shallow.)
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - YeGoblynQueenne 8y ago
    There's a man holding her up, that's why she's high on the water.