Donegal Mountain Rescue workers have said the emergence of drone technology has significantly helped them carry out a number of difficult rescue operations.
The speed in which drones can locate missing persons is crucial for Donegal Mountain Rescue workers – with our county’s vast landscape – it can be hard to locate missing individuals, drone technology has been a god send.
Crucially, drones also have the ability to take rescue workers out of danger.
Leo Murray told The Irish Times, “A drone is a lot cheaper than someone’s life. We are trying to get more people in the search-and-rescue industry to see how drones can be beneficial.
“A lot of rescues are late in the day. People leave it very late in the evening to actually make the call.
“It’s [when it is] starting to get dark so straight away the time frame is critical. If that person is left exposed or injured at any time during the winter, hypothermia is a big issue.”
Drones do not have to navigate terrain or struggle to see through dying light. They move quickly, so DroneSAR’s technology could be the difference between life and death.
“Yes of course [it is],” confirms Murray, although he is as quick as the tech start-up team to qualify its potential by saying it must go hand-in-hand with experienced teams.
Tags: