PENSACOLA, Fla. — What began as a normal day of shark fishing quickly turned into a dramatic rescue off the shores of Pensacola, when a drone pilot spotted a girl caught in a dangerous rip current and sprang into action.
Watch as Fox 4's Anvar Ruziev spoke to the quick thinking drone operator:
Andrew Smith, a drone hobbyist and fisherman, was scouting the water for sharks using his SwellPro Fisherman Max drone when he heard screams from the surf.
“There was this girl screaming, ‘Can anybody swim?’” Smith said. “And I could not swim.”
Smith noticed several emergency life preservers placed along the beach. Acting quickly, he grabbed one and used his drone to fly it out over the water. His first attempt missed the girl, but on the second try, he was able to lower the preserver within her reach.
“She got it—whoooo!” a bystander shouted as the girl grabbed hold of the device.
Smith's fast thinking bought valuable time. According to Escambia County officials, emergency responders arrived shortly after and pulled the girl safely to shore.
Her father later contacted Smith to thank him personally. “Her dad called me earlier, actually crying and thanking me,” Smith shared. “I’ve already gotten messages from search and rescue people asking how to fly the drone and what kind I used.”
Smith says he hopes others take away an important lesson from what happened—not just about the power of technology, but about respecting the ocean. He encourages everyone to pay attention to posted flag warnings at the beach and remain alert.
As for Smith, he hopes the next time he launches his drone, it’s just for fishing.
