The Sunny Isles Beach Police Department, in southern Florida, has launched a drone program capable of reaching a water emergency in less than a minute, deploying an inflatable flotation device from the air, and guiding the victim by voice until rescue teams arrive, according to a report by Univision on Wednesday.
Everything begins at the local police dispatch and monitoring center: as soon as an emergency call is received, the drone takes off immediately and covers the distance to the sea in less than sixty seconds, outpacing any boat or jet ski.
Once over the victim, the device releases a floatation device from the air that automatically inflates upon contact with water, allowing the person to stay afloat while rescuers approach.
Drones can also transmit voice messages directly to those in danger, providing them with precise instructions on how to act during the critical minutes before rescue.
Sergeant Jonathan Canats, one of the certified pilots of the program, described his experience as follows:
"With the tools they gave me, I can use them to conduct rescues, save lives, and provide any information I can. It's a wonderful experience."
The service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without interruption.
A total of 78 rescues in six months
The program started in January 2026 and its initial results are impressive: from its launch until mid-July, it participated in the rescue of 78 people from the sea, as confirmed by Lieutenant Melissa Porro to the channel Local 10.
"This program is truly new; it started in January 2026 and since then, around 78 people have been rescued from the sea. The service is available 24 hours a day and, of course, it serves as an example for other police departments in the country."
The devices used are the Skydio X10 model, operated by officials certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in partnership with the company Axon Air.
The complete system -drone, docking station, and mobile unit- was acquired in July 2025 for a cost of 250,000 dollars.
Sunny Isles Beach has thus become the first police agency in Florida to fully implement a Drone as First Responder (DFR) program, meaning drones as the first response to emergencies.
The context: Florida and the danger of drowning
The urgency of this type of technology becomes clear in light of the drowning statistics in the state.
Rip currents cause over 100 deaths annually in Florida and account for more than 80% of rescues on its beaches.
Only between March 29 and April 5, 2026, there were 509 water rescue incidents in Miami-Dade, of which 330 were related to rip currents.
In 2025, Florida recorded 119 child drowning deaths, the highest number in the state's history, according to recent news reports.
In the same context, the Miami Police launched its own first-response drone program in August 2025, aimed at deploying devices to emergency scenes following 911 calls, which demonstrates a growing trend in South Florida towards the use of this technology to save lives.
The Sunny Isles Beach program, with verifiable results achieved in just six months since its launch, aims to become the benchmark model for other police departments in the country.
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