In Pensacola, an extraordinary rescue unfolded when a teenage girl caught in a riptide was saved through quick thinking and an innovative use of technology.
Andrew Smith, a local shark fisherman who lives with a seizure disorder, used his specialized drone to deliver a life preserver to the struggling swimmer. This allowed her to rest and regain enough strength to fight the powerful current and stay afloat.
The girl’s father hailed Smith as a “guardian angel,” while witnesses praised the rescue as a “true act of humanity.”
Smith had just finished work last Thursday when a friend persuaded him to return to the beach. Shortly after arriving, a woman urgently asked if he or anyone nearby could swim. Smith, who cannot swim due to his seizure condition, responded that he could not. Fortunately, Smith had brought his drone along—an essential tool he uses to set shark bait from shore because he cannot kayak or swim.
The rescue took place at section 21-C of Pensacola Beach, just outside the restricted airspace of Fort Pickens, allowing Smith to operate his drone freely. When he saw the girl struggling in the water, he grabbed a life preserver and attempted to fly it out to her. His first try missed due to strong winds and premature release.
Encouraged by a bystander who handed him another flotation device, Smith tried again while a witness, Robert Nay, recorded the moment on his smartphone. On the second attempt, Smith skillfully adjusted for the wind, lowered the life preserver right into the girl’s grasp, and released it.
The tension was overwhelming. Smith described feeling shaken and close to tears as he faced the pressure of the life-or-death situation. “If it wasn’t for that second drop, she wouldn’t have made it,” he told news outlets. Emergency responders, police, and lifeguards all agreed that the girl’s survival was thanks to Smith’s quick and courageous action.