New life-saving rescue drones make a splash in Spain

The modernisation of maritime rescue is advancing at a fast pace thanks to the launch of new drones capable of withstanding adverse flight conditions. With response times of less than a minute and the ability to carry loads of up to five kilos - the approximate weight of two life jackets - the Saturno is the new drone from Umiles, the only Spanish company in the sector that covers everything from manufacturing to pilot training.

The Saturno is a 12-kilo aircraft that has been reinforced to face the marine environment, resisting winds of up to 50 kilometres per hour.

To demonstrate it, the company carried out a simulated rescue in Benidorm in which the aircraft was guided from the coast to carry a lifejacket to a swimmer in distress, before a rescue boat was launched to help him. The presentation was attended by representatives of local authorities.

The Saturno drone can also be used during mountain searches for missing persons and carry items such as a telephone, blanket or food while waiting for rescuers to arrive. The interchangeable batteries give it 28 real minutes of flight and a range of up to 3.5 kilometres from the pilot.

One of the features that differentiates Saturno is its modular construction which allows for different cameras - whether thermal, night or wide-angle - to be fitted.