Seconds says to 14-year-old boy

A newly developed rescue plane rescued a 14-year-old boy when he struggled from offshore altitudes earlier this month.

about to drown

– When the drone arrived, we saw that the boy was in very bad shape. Drone pilot and lifeguard Miguel Angel Pedriro told Reuters he had almost no energy to stay afloat.

Video from the rescue plane shows the dramatic seconds that unfolded on a beach in Valencia, Spain on July 1 this year.

Watch the video at the top of the case – we draw attention to strong impressions.

– We lowered him the life jacket, but it was difficult for him to hold on to it because of the rough waves. But he grabbed it, and managed to float on it until the rescue team arrived on the jet ski, Pedriro says.

The boy was taken to hospital, but was discharged well after 24 hours.

Precious seconds

We use the drone to win precious seconds when lives are on the line and help is on the way, says Pedriro.

He is one of 30 bodyguards in Spain to have trained as a drone pilot. So far, drones have been deployed along 22 Spanish beaches.

The drone was developed by a Spanish company in 2017, and over the years more and more bodyguards have wanted such drones.

Extra seconds can save lives. It can also help rescue teams approach the accident victim with more calm and caution, Pedriro says.

Significant increase in drowning

So far in 2022, 140 drownings have been reported in Spain. This represents a whopping 55 percent increase over the same period in 2021.

Perhaps the increase can be explained in part by the increased influx of tourists into the country after the pandemic.