Seaside drownings to be prevented in Benidorm using beach drones

Ten municipalities, including Benidorm, will be preventing drowning by using beach drones in the sky.

Ten municipalities, including Benidorm, will prevent drowning by using drones on the beaches this summer that will monitor bathers safety and launch life jackets to anyone seen in distress.

The pioneering “Stop Drowning” project was announced today in Xabia by the president of the Valencian government, Ximo Puig, and the Minister of Justice, Gabriela Bravo.

A total of 61 bathers died last year on the Valencian coast and 23 have already died this year, prompting the use of surveillance in the sky.

“They are unaffordable figures. We cannot stand idly by,” said Bravo, who also stressed the necessity to “raise awareness and inform”, warning that “reckless behaviour” at sea risks the “consequence of death”.

Bravo also stressed the need for bathers to adhere to the flags on beaches and to not bathe when there are no lifeguards present, if there are any health issues or if a red flag is flying.

The councillor stressed that drones can save lives and prevent drowning by launching life jackets: “We are going to evaluate how they work and we will study their possible implementation in all coastal municipalities.”

Bravo said that her department will work with the Red Cross and the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FVMP) to study the most common reason for drownings, also determining where they occur most.

“you can’t play with the sea”, warned Puig,

“You have to know their rules and the first is to be prudent,” indicating that they are using “all the instruments within our reach to technify and improve emergencies”.

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