Surf Life Saving NSW and the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) have announced an extension of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) trial to provide beach safety surveillance over 15 beaches, including Lighthouse Beach at Tacking Point, from the start of the October school holidays.

Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams said the expansion of the drone trial was fantastic news for beachgoers and lifeguards in the area.

The UAVs will provide an extra set of eyes for greater coverage of dangers along the coast and a faster response to incidents at key blackspot locations.

Fitted with alerting devices and the ability to drop an inflatable rescue pod to distressed swimmers, the drones will become a vital part of the arsenal of surf lifesavers this season.

“Our lifeguards work tirelessly over the warmer months, so I’m delighted that they will be supported with the latest available technology to help keep our community safe,” Mrs Williams said.

“The birds-eye perspective from the drones will allow our lifeguards to spot potential risks faster, with potentially life-saving consequences.

“For families and friends who love to head to the beach during the warmer months, they can feel safe in the knowledge that as much as possible is being done to prevent them from harm.

“Our beaches are synonymous with summer, so we want to ensure we are using all the tools available to us to keep our beachgoers safe.”

The program will be funded through the $16 million NSW Government Shark Management Strategy after a successful trial last summer on the north coast.

Not only will it be used for shark spotting, but new alert devices fitted to the UAVs can be used to help evacuate swimmers from the water if required. Additionally, the technological advancements in the cameras and vision resolution will assist with shark species identification and research into the behaviour of marine life.

The UAVs will complement helicopter aerial surveillance already underway on the north coast.

Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steven Pearce is confident the trial will provide tremendous benefits to the community and to the Surf Life Saving movement.

“We will training up to 300 lifesavers as pilots over the season,” he said.

“If people can fly a UAV or want to learn to fly one, there’s now an opportunity for them to get involved and play a part in helping to protect people on our beaches.

“With the incredible rate of advancement in the technology, we may soon see this equipment operating on all our beaches in the very near future. The sky is the limit and may hold the key to reducing coastal drowning deaths.”