Crime & Safety
Drones Offer A Lifeline To Ocean City Swimmers With New Technology
This new tool will help first responders save lives during the busy summer season down the shore.
OCEAN CITY, NJ — Help is on the way in a shorter time period thanks to new technology being used by the Ocean City Police Department.
During the busy summer season, a swimmer in distress is not an uncommon sight at the Jersey Shore. Now, if this happens, a drone can drop a floatation device from the air, giving the swimmer more time until advanced rescue comes (see video below).
The tool will mostly be used during hours before and after lifeguards are on duty, according to the Ocean City Beach Patrol.
Find out what's happening in Ocean Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"A rip current can happen anywhere and all the time with obstacles, it could be a stationary rip or a flash rip where it pops up. If you have something to hold onto and you’re staying calm not panicked in the water, that’s going to give yourself a better chance of survival," Lt. Andrew Shaw of the Ocean City Beach Patrol told Fox 29 Philadelphia.
The drone can also be used for crowd control to keep unruly behavior off the Boardwalk.
Find out what's happening in Ocean Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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