Drones Saved at Least 65 Lives in One Year

From May 2017 to April 2018, drones helped save at least 65 people around the world, according to a report by the Chinese civilian drone manufacturer DJI Technology.

DJI published its first report on the use of drones in search and rescue operations last year, noting 18 incidents in which 59 people were saved. In the most recent year, the number of search and rescue operations involving drones increased to 27, resulting in 65 people being found and rescued. Of these, 22 were in life-threatening situations.

A drone drops a life ring to two fishermen drowning in a river in Sichuan Province, China. Photo: Zhong Jia

Half of the incidents occurred in the United States, with the rest taking place in China, Australia, Brazil, France, Malta, and the United Kingdom. As with the previous report, only cases covered by reputable (mainly English-language) media were included, so the actual number of people saved by drones is likely even higher.

Thermal Cameras Play a Key Role

The report notes that 18 people were rescued thanks to drones equipped with thermal cameras. For example, in North Carolina, such a drone helped find an 11-year-old girl who had gotten lost and fallen asleep in the woods at night. Local media reported that it was so dark that even with flashlights, rescuers passed by the sleeping girl several times before the drone located her. In the United Kingdom, a drone with an infrared camera helped police find a car accident victim lying unconscious in a ditch at night. The victim was suffering from severe hypothermia when found, so it can be said that the drone saved his life.