If you're swimming in the Gulf off Venice and start to struggle, help might just fly in from above.
The Venice Fire Department has added a floatation device attachment to its drone to reach troubled swimmers minutes faster than first responders, department officials said.
Assistant Chief of Fire Operations Kyle Hartley said he believes adding this tool was an obvious addition for a beach town rescue agency.
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“Since our city is surrounded by water, we have a fairly high rate of incidents that involve a swimmer or other type of water rescue emergency,” said Hartley.
The drone can be controlled remotely or at the scene of an incident.
“Once the drone is over top of the person, then they remotely can drop the inflatable on them," said Hartley.
Venice Fire Rescue recently received an attachment for their drone that allows staff to deploy an inflatable to a swimmer in distress. Assistant Fire Chief Kyle Hartley gave a demo of the life-saving device this week at the Higel Marine Park boat ramp on Tarpon Center Drive. pic.twitter.com/igwd0JLBIo
— City of Venice, FL (@CityofVeniceFL) September 26, 2025
The department's Skydio X10 drone uses a third-party attachment from Restube, the buoy's manufacturer, to launch the device.
Hartley said Skydio is working on creating a version that would allow the rescue tool to be dropped from anywhere remotely.
The Venice Fire Department is among the first in the state to use the Restube device with a drone, joining Hollywood Fire Rescue & Beach Safety. Hartley said he expects other agencies in Florida will follow suit.
“Hopefully in 10, 15 years, there will be something that’s automatically deployed anytime someone calls 911,” said Hartley.
The drone can travel up to 45 mph, fly in 25-mph winds and hold up in light to moderate rain.
“Battery life is the biggest limitation,” said Hartley.
Technically, the drone can operate up to 45 minutes but averages about 30 to 40 minutes. Operators are able to quickly charge or switch batteries on scene.
The department has had the drone for over a year. It was used during hurricanes Helene and Milton last fall to assess flooding damage and see what areas needed extra resources.
The drone has also been used for brush fires, structure fires and search-and-rescue mission.
