Harnessing Drone Technology for Water Safety and Lifesaving Operations in the UK

The Role of Swellpro SplashDrone 4 in Enhancing Search and Rescue Operations for RLSS UK and Emergency Response Teams

The United Kingdom has 11,000 miles of coastline, 4700 miles of canals and rivers and around 45,000 lakes and lochs, much of which is punctuated with beautiful countryside and landscapes which draw in the general public, especially during the summer. Surfers, water sports participants, campers, and holidaymakers, throng to these sites in the hope of fun and memories.

Proximity to water for either business or pleasure brings with it some inherent risks, and in 2022, there were 226 accidental drownings in the UK, with around half of these instances occurring in June, July and August*. The response action undertaken in these events places a significant burden on resources from the emergency services, and the nature of water rescues tends to be specialist rather than generic.

High-profile drowning instances, such as the tragedy at Bournemouth in the early summer of 2023, have brought sharply into focus how important lifesaving services still are in protecting the public around our water features.

A small collection of organisations exists and have done for many decades to promote water lifesaving principles or deliver lifeguarding services, often in a traditional way. The transition into the 21st century has brought new technologies with new capabilities, and these organisations have had to adapt their mindset to meet the new reality.

Established as the Life Saving Society in 1891, and having enjoyed royal patronage for many years, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) is a charity that has positioned itself to be a world leader in water safety. This involves delivering a range of vocational qualifications through comprehensive education programmes aimed at preventing drowning and the unnecessary loss of life around water. As a progressive organisation keen to explore new ways of achieving age-old objectives, RLSS UK started to look at the emergence of drone technology as a new component of what they offer. Entering the drone market for any entity new to the technology requires some careful thought. The first challenge is to understand what benefits drones might bring to your offering so that you can see whether it's viable to adopt the technology. Once the need is established, a strategy needs to be developed which enables drones to be integrated at the right level, identifying what activities need to be conducted to make it smooth and efficient. So, what can drones offer in supporting lifesaving activities?

Drones provide the unique ability to rapidly position a camera sensor at a point above the ground or water and, with clear, dynamic video feedback to the operator, provide a panoramic, real-time view of a rescue situation. In drowning prevention, this imagery can help lifesavers to identify potential hazards, such as rip currents or submerged obstacles, that may be difficult to detect from the ground. This proactive approach can mean fewer actual lifesaving events to address.

Once a lifesaving event is in progress, drone technology offers a number of useful capabilities. Obviously, the imagery enables the quick identification and location of the casualty, which is especially useful in the type of inclement weather conditions that are often present.

The drone can be repositioned quickly to the optimal vantage point and, being able to cover large areas quickly and efficiently, can complete a search pattern in a fraction of the time of a human rescue team. Thus, where traditional lifeguard techniques are limited by factors such as distance, visibility, or weather conditions, a drone is an extremely effective 'force multiplier'.

An additional function rescue organisations are exploring is the use of drones to actively support rescues with a range of fitted flotation devices and other lifesaving equipment that can be dropped down to persons in distress. This can be particularly useful in situations where the swimmer is located far from the shore or is in danger of drowning, and time is of the essence.

The function of dropping equipment presents drone users with significant challenges. The first hurdle is regulatory; in the UK, the Air Navigation Order (ANO)the law that defines what can and cannot be done - prohibits the dropping of articles. This means that operators must generate and submit to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) an Operational Safety Case (OSC), which outlines a comprehensive risk assessment to protect uninvolved persons.

This links to the second challenge, ensuring that the dropped article lands without injuring the person needing to be rescued and yet close enough to be effective.

When it comes to operations, one reality is immediately apparent. The simple act of flying a drone is one thing, but effectively operating the technology is a different proposition! For an organisation starting out using drone technology, the most optimal way to achieve the desired operational effectiveness is through structured training.

The Splashdrone 4 from Swellpro-UK is the drone of choice for the training program due to its impressive capabilities. This drone boasts a high ingress protection (IP) rating of 67, making it highly resistant to water and dust and thus suitable for challenging environments. With a carrying capacity of 2 kg, it can transport necessary equipment during missions. It can also handle wind speeds of up to 31 mph, ensuring stability and reliable performance even in adverse weather conditions. The drone's flight time of 30 minutes provides sufficient duration for effective search and rescue operations.

One of the standout features of the SplashDrone 4 is its ability to carry multiple payloads simultaneously. It can accommodate a variety of tools and devices, such as a speakerphone, an infrared camera, one payload release mechanism, with plans to increase to two later in the year. This versatility allows for enhanced functionality and adaptability during missions. Whether it's communication, surveillance, or deploying resources, the SD4 excels in meeting the diverse needs of search and rescue operations.

With its unique specifications and adaptability, the Swellpro SplashDrone 4 proves to be an excellent choice for search and rescue teams, providing them with a reliable and versatile tool to aid their efforts in saving lives and ensuring the safety of those in need.

Since 2022, RLSS UK has partnered with Lincoln-based Eagle Eye Innovations (EEI), a UK CAA Recognised Assessment Entity (RAE) formed largely from exRAF drone operators with experience in training emergency service operators in drone technologies. The partnership was formed to develop a structured Emergency Response Drone Pilot Award training course. The course allows candidates the opportunity to learn the skills, technical knowledge, and legalities of drone operating to assist with water-based rescues.

Training courses continue in 2023 with the backdrop of drowning tragedies in the early summer in the UK that have caused rescue organisations such as RLSS and RNLI to continue to evaluate drone use.

Recently, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a high-profile charity with a focus on saving lives at sea, have announced hosting a drone trial with RLSS UK for summer 2023 at Crantock Beach, Cornwall - a beach that is well known for a significant risk of rip currents. The purpose is to determine how drone technology embedded with the beach lifeguarding function can be employed and developed in the best way so that, if proven, it can be rolled out to other beaches in the UK.

For lifesaving use cases, drone technology represents a paradigm shift from the traditional equipment and processes that have endured for decades. For organisations such as RLSS and RNLI, if the transition can be managed correctly, with structured training to help deliver the mindset change required for full adoption, then the likelihood of seamless integration will be increased, and rescue statistics will likely improve.

Author Craig Lippett Head of Technical Services for Eagle Eyed Innovations

Contact Information

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