Yes, drones can be annoying from time to time, especially when your friend gets one and won’t shut up about it, but as this video proves, they can also be used to literally save a life.
Carlos Gauna is a filmmaker and artist who uses his drone to film sharks off the California coast and honed in on a large white shark swimming on the surface near a fishing boat, but a close look showed a potentially deadly situation unfolding before his eyes.
One of the anglers on the boat decided to cool off and jumped in the water, unaware that a white shark was nearby. The men had two fish on a stringer hanging off the boat, so between those and the sounds of the man swimming, the shark took note and started coming up to get a better look.
Both men were completely unaware that the shark was closing towards them, or even in their vicinity, so Gauna jumped into action and may have just saved the man’s life.
He used his signaled to the men with his drone that the shark was close by, which allowed the guy to scamped up the ladder and back into the safety of the boat.
Gauna gave more details in the video’s caption:
“This was one of the more interesting encounters I’ve filmed.
This fisherman was swimming next to his boat. I’m standing on a beach nearly two miles away and signal the man with the drone simply to let him know he was near a larger juvenile white shark. This is nearly a 10-11 foot shark, so definitely not small.
This is a great example of situational awareness and why it’s important to know when and where to swim. In this case, the fisherman decided to jump in the water right next to his boat, which is fine, except he had two live fish, probably his days catch, hanging off the side of the boat…
Had a negative encounter occurred it’s likely only the attack gets reported and not the circumstances that led to it. As often happens. In this case, a white shark is attracted to the stress signals given by live fish on a stringer. Luckily, nothing happened but it’s a good reminder that in the ocean, education and awareness is just as important as on land.”
Big shoutout to the man behind the drone. Being able to save someone’s life while 2 miles away sure seems like a superpower and outweighs any annoyance people can have with their buzzing sounds.
Gotta stay keep your eyes peeled out there, even when everything seems completely peaceful as you float in the Pacific Ocean.
