Swimmers in distress off the coast of South Haven could soon find a drone overhead capable of dropping special flotation devices to help save them from drowning thanks to a new acquisition by the South Haven Area Emergency Services team. 
The ability to affect water rescues in the future will be enhanced by the purchase which was made possible through a generous grant from the Albemarle Foundation in the community.
The department is the beneficiary of the new drone thanks to the $7,500 grant from Albemarle which has a plant in South Haven. The Albemarle Foundation is employee-driven and seeks through its grants to make a positive, sustainable impact in the communities where its employees live and work.
The drone is equipped with a payload delivery system that is capable of dropping CO2-charged, water activated flotation devices to swimmers struggling in the water. Operated from the shore, the operator is able to view the distressed swimmer through a camera on board the drone.
SHAES Executive Director Brandon Hinz says, “We are excited to add this drone to our arsenal of water rescue tools for the upcoming summer months.” Last summer his department responded to 23 incidents involving people in distress on Lake Michigan, and there were three drownings.
The drone is also equipped with an infrared camera that can be used to locate distressed swimmers in the dark. It is also capable of detecting heat signatures for search and rescue efforts in rural areas such as woods and cornfields.
The Albemarle Foundation has been generous to the South Haven Area Emergency Services team, where grants in recent years have been used to purchase water rescue equipment for paid-on-call staff and to acquire bicycles outfitted with EMS supplies for quick response in congested areas.
The photos accompanying this story on Moody on the Market are courtesy of Professional Photographer Tom Renner of South Haven.
