Nassau police show off new water rescue drones that drop life preservers to those in distress

Nassau County police showed off two new water emergency drones Thursday that can drop a life preserver to swimmers or boaters in distress.

The county purchased the water rescue drones using funds from assets forfeited in criminal cases as part of a $1 million drone program.

Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman demonstrated the water rescue drones Thursday in Island Park.

A drone flew from Long Beach City Hall and dropped a flotation device that inflated and lit up when it hit the water in the channels off Island Park. The police swimmer clung to the life preserver until pickup by a police boat.

"This will happen in a matter of seconds after drones are released when they get a call that there is someone in distress," Blakeman said. "So if there is a swimmer in distress, if there's a kayak or a boater, a missing person on the waterways, we will immediately deploy these drones."

The drones are intended to help the police department's Marine Bureau, which conduct about 150 rescues per year on the North and South shores of Nassau County. 

Police have 70 drones that can be dispatched throughout the county for 911 calls, large gatherings and to monitor houses of worship, which are connected to police, Ryder said.

The drones include eight stationed throughout the county to act as first responders that can be dispatched for emergency calls or assist with police response, Ryder said.

The county's first responder program is expected to grow to 24 drones in the spring, in which drones respond to emergencies before police can get there, Ryder said.

"The drones have been very valuable so far," Ryder said.

Police have 40 licensed drone pilots, including a dozen dedicated to the first responder program stationed at the police training center in Uniondale, where they can deploy the drones and monitor the cameras as they fly.

They can also broadcast the drone footage to nearby patrol cars before officers arrive, Blakeman said. Drones can respond to a call 1 mile away within 23 seconds, Blakeman and Ryder said.

The drones can fly up to 45 mph and remain in the air for about 25 to 30 minutes before needing to recharge, Blakeman said. 

Police plan to have additional drones nearby to have overlapping coverage, Ryder said. Each pilot can operate four drones at once from the police intelligence center. The drones also have infrared and thermal imaging to look for suspects or missing persons. 

The drones can fly up to 200 feet to canvass an area below restricted airspace or as low as 20 feet from the ground, Ryder said. The drones are limited from flying in heavy rain or winds up to 30 mph. 

Suffolk County announced a $600,000 drone first responder program last year, with five drones deployed in the county. A drone first responder was used to help Suffolk officers track and arrest a burglary suspect in Lindenhurst last month.