Where are the Drones?

In the summer of 2022, you might recall the hype surrounding the introduction of life-saving drones to offer additional protection on many of the beaches of the Costa Blanca, including Benidorm, Dénia, Orihuela, Santa Pola, and Guardamar del Segura, amongst others, their usefulness highlighted by the rescues carried out, including three in a single day, but you might have noticed a lack of coverage of the service this year, which is not due to the hype no longer being relevant, but because this applauded service has been scaled back, without any official explanation as to why.

To provide the service to the Valencian Community, spread out along its 468-kilometre extension, the facility for drones which can deploy life jackets and direct help was last year contracted by the Ministry of Justice, Interior and Public Administration to a private company, but this year many local town halls, of all political persuasions, are pointing out that during the summer period of 2023 the hiring of drones has not been activated.

The regional Government last year provided up to twenty drones to some municipalities to reinforce surveillance in the beach areas of the Valencian Community and prevent drowning. These are unmanned aircraft that contracted the Valencian company General Drones, a firm that revolutionised maritime surveillance and rescue services through a pilot program of the Coastal Territorial Action Plan. Mayors of the PP and PSOE consider the aircraft a “useful complement” although they recognise that it is an “expensive service” for the public coffers. In addition, they attribute the suspension of the contract to the regional and municipal elections of 28-M.

Some town halls are providing their own drones, but these are only used for observation, able to take and transmit pictures and videos, and are not capable of carrying life jackets.

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