NYPD Plans to Use Drones to Drop Floats to Drowning Swimmers at City Beaches

The New York City Police Department says they plan to help swimmers in distress this summer at city beaches by dropping flotation devices to them from drones — although it’s unclear how widespread the futuristic rescue operation will be.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Operations Kaz Daughtry shared the news in a video posted Friday on social media, The City reports.

In the video, Daughtry talks about controlling a drone from inside 1 Police Plaza in Lower Manhattan to fly over the 47th Precinct in The Bronx and explains how the NYPD will expand the technology to city beaches this summer.

“We’re gonna deploy these drones on the beach, the pilots will be flying up and down the beach keeping beachgoers and swimmers safe,” he said. 

If an officer sees someone caught in a rip tide or drowning, he said, the operator “can hit a button, it will drop” a flotation device that inflates as soon as it hits the water.