Drone effort to ward off sharks under way

Surf Life Saving New Zealand has backed a coroner’s calls for the use of drones and elevated towers at beaches known for sharks, saying trials of drone technology were already under way in New Zealand.

Coroner Michael Robb’s report into the the January 7, 2021, shark attack death of Kaelah Marlow at

Waihı¯ Beach made recommendations, including research utilising tagging and satellite monitoring of great white sharks in the North Island. He also said at beaches where great white sharks were known to be part of the population, lifeguard towers with elevated viewing should be considered, along with signage warning about sharks and a statutory provision allowing lifeguards to require people to leave the water.

Robb also recommended ‘‘drones be utilised by or for the benefit of surf lifeguards, where possible, to assist in the monitoring of ocean waters in and around flagged areas’’.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand Eastern Region Life Saving manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell said lifeguards who helped pull Marlow out of the water that day also felt vindicated after the coroner said they had done all they could to help save her life.

Gibbons-Campbell said while there were limitations around the use of both drones and towers, their combined use could prove effective.

‘‘In relation to towers, we try to have elevated towers at all of our beaches. We have temporary, movable towers that we drag out in the morning and bring them back in at night ... and some beaches have permanent towers.’’

He said towers perched on sand dunes provided excellent vantage points for lifeguards but getting resource consents and funding to build permanent towers had been tricky at times.