When officials from the Crisis Management Division of the city of Yaizu in Shizuoka Prefecture carried out emergency response drills last summer, they received a helping hand from an unconventional source.

The discovery of a "swimmer" stranded in the waters of Suruga Bay was made not by a vessel or helicopter of the coast guard or fire department, but by a drone.

Officials from the Yaizu Crisis Management Division guide a drone that has been fitted with a life buoy to the location of a person in need of help in the ocean as part of an emergency drill.
Officials from the Yaizu Crisis Management Division guide a drone that has been fitted with a life buoy to the location of a person in need of help in the ocean as part of an emergency drill. | COURTESY OF YAIZU CITY CRISIS MANAGEMENT DIVISION