http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/28/drone-preps-water-rescues/
This is a brilliant idea. Anything to save lives. There is nothing more tragic than when a rescuer becomes the victim. Hope this thing takes off. This would be perfect for cave rescues or those stuck on the rocks.
interesting but very limited.
I cant see where a single lifeguard is playing with a joystick instead of swimming out to help someone.It would be a public relations disaster and lawsuit if he did and the person quickly moved from needing assist, to drowning and a standard ap pic of a county/city lifeguard with a joystick would be a huge assist to the plaintiffs attorney in the realm of asking for so much more $$ during negotiations or during actual court.
However in conjunction with a main lifeguard tower like at Oceanside,/Huntington Piers and manned lifeguard towers to the N. and S. of the pier. The Main lifeguard tower could have one of these posted at the end of the pier and be a fast assist to one of the other tower guards, assuming the thing can travel quickly and repeatedly through the day without much maintenance.