Agri-Drone Saves Fisherman Trapped in Swift River in Zhejiang, Highlighting Expanding Drone Applications
In recent years, drone technology has been increasingly applied across various fields, from agriculture and surveying to transportation and emergency rescue, rapidly transforming operational methods in multiple industries. A recent rescue in Shawan Town, Jingning She Autonomous County, Lishui City of Zhejiang Province, has vividly demonstrated the technology’s life-saving potential—an enthusiastic villager successfully rescued a fisherman trapped in the middle of a swift river using an agricultural drone.
The dangerous situation unfolded when a man fishing by the river was stranded in the central area of the waterway after sudden rises in water levels, with the current becoming increasingly rapid and turbulent. Upon receiving the emergency call, rescue personnel rushed to the scene promptly, equipped with conventional rescue tools. However, the swift and violent current made it impossible to launch rubber boats, which are commonly used in water rescue operations, leaving the rescue team with no choice but to seek help from nearby villagers and borrow bamboo rafts as an alternative solution.
At this critical juncture, Chen Wangdi, a local villager with rich experience in drone operation, stepped forward to offer assistance. Chen, who holds a formal drone operation qualification certificate, usually uses his agricultural drone for farm work and heavy-load hoisting in mountainous forest areas in daily life. The agricultural drone he owns has an impressive hoisting capacity of up to 150 kilograms, which is generally much more than the weight of an adult, laying a solid foundation for the rescue mission .
As the situation was urgent and the river water continued to rise, Chen Wangdi carefully operated the drone to fly above the trapped man and lowered a safety rope. After the trapped man firmly tied the rope around his waist, the drone slowly lifted him away from the center of the river and transferred him to a safe area.
After a tense few minutes, the drone safely transported the trapped fisherman to the riverbank, where rescue personnel and onlookers waited to assist him. Upon landing, the fisherman, though exhausted and frightened, was physically unharmed. The entire rescue process was efficient and safe, thanks to Chen’s skilled operation and the reliable performance of the agricultural drone.
This rescue case is not an isolated incident, but a vivid reflection of the expanding application scope of drone technology. Traditionally used in agricultural scenarios such as pesticide spraying, seed sowing and heavy material transportation in mountainous areas , agricultural drones are now playing an increasingly important role in emergency rescue, especially in complex terrains where conventional rescue methods are limited. Experts pointed out that with the continuous advancement of drone technology, their load capacity, stability and intelligence are constantly improving, enabling them to better adapt to various harsh and urgent scenarios, and bringing new possibilities for improving rescue efficiency and ensuring people’s life safety.
It is worth noting that although the agricultural drone played a crucial role in this emergency rescue, fire rescue personnel pointed out that this drone-assisted human-carrying rescue was carried out on the premise that the situation was critical and traditional rescue forces were already on standby at the scene. The use of plant protection drones to carry or hoist people is strictly prohibited in daily life.
The fire department introduced that in emergency rescue operations, drones are more widely used in scenarios such as fire rescue, earthquake rescue, water and mountain search and rescue. Equipped with high-definition cameras and thermal imagers, drones can quickly locate targets and understand the surrounding environment, providing a basis for formulating rescue plans. In addition, drones can establish a temporary communication network on site to ensure unobstructed information between the command center and rescue personnel, and also help avoid many potential risks in rescue work.
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