Just last week, the first ever drone rescue at sea occurred in the heavy riptides off the coast of Australia. Two swimmers were trapped in the strong current when a drone dropped a flotation device down to them from the sky. The fate of the two swimmers could have been much worse if it weren’t for the drone’s ability to quickly and safely get the flotation device into the water. The “Mini-Ripper LifeSAVER” drone was launched by the Coast Guard immediately upon learning of the swimmers’ distress.

We will likely see more of these kind of rescues around the world, and in the U.S., as more ‘rescue’ drones hit the skies and become a part of every first responders’ toolkit. Video footage of this rescue is available here.