Thirty water rescue drones are being sent out along Tenerife’s coastline to help locate, assist and evacuate swimmers during emergencies at sea.
Each of the island’s 28 coastal municipalities will receive one device, while Tenerife’s Fire Brigade Consortium will operate a further two. Local emergency teams will also receive specialist training in their use.
The initiative follows a sharp rise in coastal emergencies over the past decade. Firefighters attended 625 incidents during that period, including 164 sea rescues in which 26 people died.
Studies have identified seven common areas for accidents, accounting for almost 40% of rescues and around half of all deaths recorded in coastal emergencies.
The new equipment was presented during a demonstration at El Médano beach in Granadilla de Abona. The drones can be operated remotely from shore and are fitted with cameras to locate people in difficulty and identify the rescue area.
They can carry flotation equipment, support conscious casualties and quickly transport a firefighter to the scene. Each device can also bring the rescuer and casualty back to shore together.
The drones are designed to operate in rough seas and can dive beneath waves. They have a working time of around one hour.
Authorities hope the equipment will shorten emergency response times and reduce the immediate risk faced by rescue workers in dangerous sea conditions.
