OCEAN COUNTY, N.J. — The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office used drones as part of a rescue of swimmers in distress.
The July 17 response unfolded when dispatchers received reports that swimmers were showing signs of distress, Detective Patrick Kennedy told WPVI.
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While rescue crews headed to the swimmers’ location, Kennedy deployed a drone equipped with a flotation device. Kennedy flew the drone out to the swimmers and remotely deployed the device, casting a “restube” into the water below.
“Words can’t describe how important this is. It saves one life? It’s worth it,” Kennedy told WPVI.
The sheriff’s office has been equipped with the drones for several years, but recently equipped them for water rescue assistance. Crews were able to safely bring the swimmers to shore.
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