And there is this
Dramatic video footage from the drone shows the pair surrounded by quick-moving water and only the younger boy had a life jacket on.
As the rescue team set up to go in the water, Auburn Fire Chief Frank Roma flew his personal drone – with a rope line attached – to the teen in the water. He was then able to pull a blue life jacket to himself on the rock.
“The drone just happened to be in my vehicle and it was one of those times where the application fit the moment. Our first priority was getting the older boy a life jacket in case he slipped into the water,” Roma said.
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How about this
The drone was used in two separate incidents for two separate reasons, underscoring the versatility of the emerging technology in search-and-rescue scenarios. In an early morning rescue, Garret Bryl, a volunteer drone pilot who works with the
Joshua Fire Department in Texas, used his drone to spot a pickup truck that had been swept off the road and into a forest during a flash flood.
Later that day, he used the drone to fly a rope to two people who were stranded in their mobile home. The rope was then used to pass life preservers to the couple, who were later rescued by a helicopter.
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Plenty more where those came from. But you are right. A fire department would NEVER use an uncertified personal drone to attempt to rescue anyone.