Drowning Girl saved with Drone: Andrew Smith had finished work and planned to go home, but his friends asked him to come out for night fishing at Pensacola Beach. He agreed, not knowing he’d soon become a hero. Only ten minutes after arriving, chaos broke out.
A teenage girl was stuck in the water, fighting to stay above the waves. People nearby didn’t know what to do. One girl ran up to Smith and asked if he could swim. He told her he couldn’t. Everyone around was panicking, and no one was able to help her.
But Smith had an idea. He remembered he had his drone with him, the one he usually uses to spot sharks. This time, he thought he could use it to try something different he could fly out a flotation ring to the girl.
“Her friend was getting sucked more and more out,” Smith said. “I looked down at the drone and I was like, ‘well, the drone can swim but I can’t.’” reports NY Post
Sitting Bull Documentary: How to Watch, Premiere Dates, and What to Expect
Smith acted fast. He grabbed a life-ring and attached it to his drone. But his first try didn’t go as planned. He flew the drone out, but dropped the ring too soon. It landed far from her. The strong wind made things worse. “It was a terrible miss,” Smith said.
The girl was now out in the water for nearly five minutes. She looked weaker and was getting pulled farther out by the current. Smith felt nervous and scared. “I was shaking pretty bad, it was nerve-wracking, I just about cried,” he said.
Someone in the crowd handed him another flotation device. Smith didn’t give up. He flew the drone again. This time, he moved slower. He brought the drone down closer to her, trying to make sure he got it right.
Asia Sees New Covid-19 Wave: What We Know About the JN.1 Variant and Vaccine Effectiveness
He knew this was his last chance. “That was the last opportunity we were going to have,” he said. He lowered the drone until he saw the girl’s hands grab the ring. Then he dropped it. She held on tight and floated there until rescue crews got to her.
Lifeguards and paramedics arrived soon after. They told Smith that without his help, the girl might not have survived.
“If it wasn’t for that second drop, she wouldn’t have made it,” Smith said the rescue workers told him. The girl’s father called Smith a guardian angel. Smith said the dad thanked him and told him how grateful he was.
“He talked to me for like five minutes and called me his guardian angel and thanking me and stuff,” Smith said.
