As the beach season winds down, the Nassau County Police Department on Long Island has added new drones to help find people during water emergencies. The department demonstrated the water rescue drones in a channel off Island Park, where a compact device with a beacon can be dropped to a swimmer or boater in distress. Officials say it can take five to 10 minutes to reach someone, time that can make the difference in saving a life. The drones are also expected to help with riptides, shark sightings and crime scenes, and the county is paying for them with money seized from drug dealers. The department has eight drones now and hopes to deploy 24.
As the beach season on Long Island winds down, the Nassau County Police Department is not slowing its preparations for water rescues. The department has added new drones designed to help find people during emergencies, adding an aerial tool to the work of first responders along the county's shoreline.
Police demonstrated the new water rescue drones in a channel off Island Park, showing how the technology could be used in a real emergency. Officials described the equipment as a potentially huge lifesaver, with the drones deployed alongside the personnel who normally respond to calls in the water.
At the center of the demonstration was a small device packed tightly with rescue equipment and fitted with a beacon. According to the department, the beacon goes off when the device hits the water, helping a swimmer or boater in distress stay afloat and be located until help arrives.
The speed of that response was presented as the main advantage. Officials said it can take five to 10 minutes for responders to reach a person in the water, and that those five to 10 minutes can be the difference in saving someone's life.
The drones are expected to ease the workload carried by lifeguards on the county's South Shore beaches. Strong riptides are already on the drones' watch list, along with shark sightings, both of which have kept beach patrols busy through the season.
Beyond the water, police said the drones already deployed at city beaches are expected to have additional uses on Long Island. Officials listed boaters or swimmers in distress, crime scenes, road rage, street takeovers and possible threats at places of worship as situations where a drone could be sent in to watch an area and help officers move in to make arrests and issue summonses.
The county is paying for the drones with money seized from drug dealers. Police said they have eight drones right now but hope to deploy 24, describing the effort as a way to be in the sky to fight crime and potentially save lives.