Photo credit: DJI
Mid-May 2025 on Pensacola Beach, Florida, was deceptively calm—golden sunlight, gentle waves, and a hidden menace: a rip current. Andrew Smith, a shark fisherman sidelined from swimming by a seizure disorder, arrived at Fort Pickens Beach, nudged by a friend. Ten minutes later, chaos erupted. A teenage girl, trapped 100 yards offshore, battled the current’s relentless pull. Smith, unable to dive in, turned to his SwellPro Fisherman Max drone, typically used for scouting sharks. What followed was a heart-pounding rescue that turned a fishing tool into a lifeline.
Smith spotted a flotation device on the beach. “I saw her struggling, and nobody could swim out,” he told local station WEAR-TV. “I thought, ‘I’ve got the drone—let’s try it.’” His first attempt failed, the device dropping too soon in windy conditions. A bystander handed him another. With the girl’s strength fading after five grueling minutes, Smith piloted the drone again, lowering the device with precision. “When I saw her grab it, I knew she’d make it,” he said. She clung on, floating until first responders reached her. Bystander Robert Nay, who captured the rescue on video, recalled, “It was intense. You could see her panic, then relief when she got that float.”
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Rip currents are deadly, claiming 11 lives in the U.S. in 2025. Single red flags warned of danger that day, but no lifeguards were on duty until Memorial Day. The teen, one of three swimmers, was swept out while her friends watched helplessly. Smith’s drone, operating just outside restricted airspace, was a stroke of luck. “If I’d been a bit further down the beach, I couldn’t have flown,” he noted. His quick thinking defied the odds.
The SwellPro Fisherman Max, built for rugged fishing tasks, proved its versatility. Designed for saltwater and heavy payloads, it delivered the flotation device with pinpoint accuracy. “That drone was the difference,” a first responder told reporters, noting the girl’s exhaustion. Nay’s video shows the drone’s steady flight and the teen’s desperate grasp.
Pensacola officials are exploring drones for beach safety, inspired by Smith’s actions. Drones aren’t new to rescue work—search-and-rescue teams use them for climbers or disaster zones—but Smith’s story shows their potential for everyday heroics. They don’t tire or drown, covering vast areas fast.
For Smith, it was surreal. “I just went to fish,” he told WEAR-TV. His seizure disorder led him to drones, a twist that saved a life. The teen’s family, unnamed, reportedly thanked him. As Pensacola considers drones for lifeguard duties, Smith’s ingenuity raises questions: Could drones become beach sentinels? Will they inspire new training? For now, a fisherman’s quick wit and a drone remind us technology can bridge panic and salvation, turning a routine beach day into a story of survival.
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