A report from “Guardian Angel” details how Andrew Smith utilized a drone, usually operated for shark fishing, to rescue a girl who was struggling in the water. A lifeguard noted that Smith’s quick thinking and meticulous drone maneuvering played a crucial role in her rescue.
On Thursday, Smith was about to head home after work when his friend persuaded him to visit Pensacola Beach for some night fishing, according to 7 News Miami.
Just ten minutes after arriving, chaos erupted as a teenage girl was seen struggling underwater.
The strong riptide was pulling her further from the shore.
The girl, in a panic, rushed to Smith and asked if he could swim. He replied, “No, I couldn’t swim,” as she screamed for help amidst a crowd that seemed unable to assist.
In a moment of inspiration, Smith decided to use his drone to deliver a flotation device to the girl, allowing her to hold on until rescuers arrived.
“Her friend was being pulled away more and more,” Smith recounted. “I looked down at the drone and thought, ‘Well, drones can swim, but they can’t.”
He sprang into action, quickly fetching the flotation device and attaching it to the drone. Unfortunately, his first attempt was unsuccessful.
“I did something wrong—released it too early in the wind,” he admitted.
Time was not on their side. The girl had been caught in that relentless current for about five minutes, and Smith felt the pressure mounting. “I was shaking pretty badly, it was nerve-wracking. I just cried,” he shared with 7 News Miami.
A bystander offered him another flotation device for a second try.
“After the first try, I realized how windy it was, so I lowered it,” he explained, knowing this was their last shot.
This time, he successfully sent the flotation device, and the girl managed to cling to it for five minutes until paramedics and lifeguards arrived.
“Without that second drop, she wouldn’t have made it,” he said they told him later.
The girl’s father praised Smith, calling him a hero. “He spoke to me for about five minutes, referred to me as his guardian angel, and expressed his gratitude,” Smith recalled, describing the encounter as surreal.
