Ocean County Sheriff's Department uses drone to save swimmers in distress

SURF CITY, N.J. (WPVI) -- The Ocean County Sheriff's Department says an officer used a drone to save two swimmers in distress late last week.

The rescue happened around 6:15 p.m. on Friday, July 17 at Division Avenue Beach in Surf City.

According to Detective Patrick Kennedy, an officer, "received a call from county dispatch that there was a swimmer in distress in the area that he was in."

While crews worked to get out to those in distress, the officer deployed a drone that is equipped with a flotation device called a 'restube.' It can move up to 45 miles per hour.

"So we take it out, turn it on, it has GPS coordinates, and they go. Once it flies up and is over the person, we remotely activate it, and it drops that right to them," said Kevin Fennessy, a Chief Warrant Officer with the Ocean County Sheriff's Department.

Fennessy said the flotation device "will activate and expand in the water. It's something they can hold onto until someone gets out there - the rescuers get out there to bring them in."

Pictures released by the sheriff's department show one of the swimmers holding onto the tube until crews got out to them and brought them to shore.

While the department has had these drones for several years, Officer Fennessy said last summer was the first time they thought about using them in this way.

Every night from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., when lifeguards are off duty, the sheriff's department is stationed in areas where the most water rescues happen.

Now, these flotation devices offer an extra layer of protection.

Detective Kennedy told Action News, "Words can't describe how important this is. It saves one life? It's worth it."