Lifeboats in Norfolk trialling DRONES in search and rescue

A lifeboat crew is trialling drones for use in sea search and rescue operations in what is thought to be a world first. The independent lifeboat service at Caister, near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, has a fleet of drones fitted with lights and cameras which feed live video footage back to screens on the boat. This gives the lifeboat crew a better view of the water, and helps them find a person more quickly - potentially the difference between life and death. The drones launch from the front of the boat and perform an automatic box search around it. This gives the lifeboat crew a better view of the water, and helps them find a person more quickly - potentially the difference between life and death.