The Duluth Fire Department in Duluth, Minnesota is considering purchasing the Emergency Integrated Lifesaving LanYard (EMILY) drone, which is a 24-pound unmanned water rescue drone that was created by Tucson, Arizona-based Hydronalix.

Equipped with a two-way radio that allows first responders to communicate with the person needing assistance, the unmanned surface vehicle (USV) carries a detachable lifejacket and helmet, and can float with six to eight people holding on to it.

Duluth Fire Capt. Brent Consie says that the city has an extensive amount of shoreline, and is one of the worst spots in the Great Lakes for rip currents.

“One of our biggest concerns with rescue is with rip currents,” Consie says via an article from the Grand Forks Herald.

“When we've got an east wind or a wind that's about 10 to 15 miles an hour like we might see here on Thursday, we have currents that actually flute water back off shore so people who are caught in rip currents can really be taken by surprise. Tourists or people who are not familiar with our waters get into a situation where there's potentially a drowning. We want to be able to get to them as fast as we possibly can.”

During the last week of July, the department, along with first responders from other area agencies, tested the USV during a mock rescue scenario, when two Duluth firefighters floated in Lake Superior, where response times are very important because of its cold temperatures.

A firefighter on shore used a remote control to direct the movements of the USV, leading it to the firefighters in the water. Once the USV reached the firefighters, they latched onto a set of handles on the USV, and were pulled to shore.

For a department that has about six water emergencies per year, sending out a USV could be a better alternative to what first responders currently do, which is deploy a boat.

“Technology is always changing. ... this water drone is a different approach to it because the drownings happen so fast and our conditions change so fast,” Consie says. “We're looking at ways — how can we improve? How can we use technology to keep improving our deliverance of service?”

Consie adds that the USV will allow first responders to reach someone needing help faster than the department’s current capabilities. In scenarios where first responders need to rescue someone in the water, they can still deploy the USV so that the person can have something to hang on to while waiting for help.