BACK TO EARTH WITH A BUMP
Crash landing comes days after teens’ surf rescue
A drone being trialled to rescue swimmers crashed in the ocean at Byron Bay, days after saving two teens from rough surf
A DRONE being trialled to spot sharks and rescue swimmers needed help itself when crashing in water off Byron Bay, days after it was heralded for saving two teens in heavy surf.
An $8000 unmanned aerial vehicle was put down in the ocean 200m off Wategos Beach after a training exercise went wrong on Saturday afternoon.
Lifeguards had to paddle out to retrieve the DJI Matrice 600 drone. When the Gold Coast Bulletin sought confirmation from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority yesterday, CASA was not aware of the in- cident. CASA questioned the Little Ripper Group – which supplies drones to Surf Life Saving NSW for the trials – for confirmation.
“CASA made contact with the Little Ripper Group after receiving advice from the Bulletin and has been provided with information about the incident,” a CASA spokeswoman said later in a statement.
“The operator has provided CASA with information which details the probable cause.”
The crash prompted NSW lifesavers to speak out yesterday over concerns traditional lifesaving services were missing out on funding while drone trials receive thousands of dollars from authorities.
After last Thursday’s dramatic rescue of the two teens, captured on video taken by the drone’s camera, NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro and NSW Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair heaped praise on the trial. They had allocated $430,000 for it a month earlier.
Yesterday, Surf Life Saving NSW spokeswoman Donna Wishart said an operator landed the drone on the water during a training flight after bolts sheered off a rotor.
Ms Wishart said the drone was put down off Wategoes Beach so it did not injure beachgoers.
“It’s standard operating procedure. We’re not sure what’s happened just yet but it appears there’s some manufacture problem with this particular aircraft that the operators, Little Ripper, have reported,” Ms Wishart said.
“There are some bolts that have sheered off one of the rotors. We’re sending it back to the manufacturer. These things are going to happen from time to time with new technology. We hope it’s not an ongoing thing.”
Little Ripper Group CEO Eddie Bennett did not return calls or texts yesterday.
The drone touchdown caused consternation among lifesavers in northern NSW, with a high-ranking clubbie claiming drones should only be used for surveillance.
“At some point you have to swim out to people for a rescue,” said the clubbie, who wished to remain anonymous.
“The devices should be for observation only. If a drone was on the scene and couldn’t perform a rescue, all it would do is watch someone drown.”
The clubbie said Thursday’s operation was not a true rescue as the teens, wearing swim flippers, were able to get back to shore after a flotation pod was dropped to them by the drone.
“The high amount of money spent on trialling these drones could have been directed toward things like inflatable rescue boats, supplementing the program we already have.”
The clubbie said the politics of the NSW Government’s five-year $16m shark management strategy, which started in 2015 after a spate of attacks, could be better spent on equipment like lifesaving IRBs.
“We are still seeing drownings in northern NSW. A drone isn’t going to save a life there,” he said.