A West Auckland surf lifesaving club will be receiving a drone from the mayor to help its rescue efforts.
The drone was given to Mayor Len Brown by the Mayor of Guangzhou. Mr Brown decided to gift it to the Karekare Surf Lifesaving Club after a discussion with club stalwart and Auckland Champion Sir Bob Harvey.
The drone will be trialled at the beach, and will be flown to areas needing to be searched before other manned craft come to the scene.
“It won’t take away the need for rescue craft and lifeguards but it will give us another pair of excellent eyes where it really counts,” says club patrol captain Matt Wade, who is also a qualified drone operator.
The GHOST basic drone is valued at around $1000 and carries GoPro cameras.
Drones have been trialled by a Queensland surf club in Australia, and Surf Life Saving New Zealand has been looking into this research.
“Ideally we will be able to fly the drone north over the infamous Cauldron where many rescues take place, and south over unpatrolled areas toward Whatipu, and we will ensure we operate within Civil Aviation Authority regulations,” says Mr Wade.
The Karekare club is 80 years old this summer, and has saved 5000 people since it began in 1935.
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