Drone rescues average ‘one per week’
DJI has released its first ever survey of life-saving drones, finding that there have been at least 59 people saved from life-threatening situations.
Drone manufacturer DJI has released its first ever survey of life-saving drones, finding that there have been at least 59 people saved from life-threatening situations by UAVs in 18 separate incidents.
More than one-third of those saved, said DJI, were assisted by drones operated by members of the public or volunteers. This indicates that ‘the widespread adaption of personal drones offers a concrete benefit to public safety’, said the firm. It claims that the rate of life-saving drone work now ‘averages one per week’.
The survey was based on media reports collected form around world by DJI, which it said probably underestimates the number of lifesaving activities.
“The clear conclusion is that drones are regularly saving lives around the world. This is occurring even though professional rescue crews are just beginning to adopt UAS technology, and in many cases, are relying on bystanders or volunteers to provide lifesaving support,” the report concludes.