Development of a Lifeguard assist Drone for coastal search and rescue

Several lives are lost every year due to drowning on the beaches and other water bodies all over the world, representing a tragic loss to the family members as well as the nation. To save the lives of drowning victims, we have developed a low-cost drone for assisting the lifeguard, in search and rescue operations, for the coastal beaches of the state of Goa, India. The lifeguard on the control tower of a beach will deploy the drone towards the victim in distress in the water. A floatation device is deployed near the drowning victim. The person in distress can hold onto the flotation device till the lifeguards can approach the spot and perform a rescue operation. The use of the drone can also be extended to rivers, lakes and popular picnic as well as religious pilgrimage sites, where several members of the public congregate, to monitor and perform rescue operations. A proof-of-concept prototype of the lifeguard assist drone has been developed. A floatation device deployment mechanism has been designed and deployed on the lifeguard assist drone. Initial trials have provided excellent results and the cost of the system is much lesser than similar systems in use, as reported in the literature.