Germany’s newest squad of lifeguards swim faster than Michael Phelps and can drag a one-tonne pontoon boat, yet weigh little more than a Staffordshire bull terrier.
The remote-controlled Dolphin 3 water drones have been deployed to tackle drownings as ever more people underestimate the dangers of swimming in lakes and rivers.
Resembling a cross between a manta ray and a miniature lifeboat, the metre-long, battery-powered craft have a top speed of 25km/h (16mph).
Even when tugging two adult humans through the water they can reach 5km/h, faster than most recreational swimmers. They are deployed remotely or used by lifeguards when they reach out to those in trouble.
The machines, which cost €7,500 apiece, were developed by a Hong Kong-based company called OceanAlpha but have been adapted to meet German safety standards.
The German Life-Saving Association (DLRG) has begun testing them at 14 rescue stations around the country, including one on Lake Constance in the far south and another on Lake Gifiz, on the outskirts of Offenburg, across the Rhine from Strasbourg.
Last year the DLRG recorded 411 deaths by drowning, compared with 380 in 2023 and 299 in 2021. It was the highest number since the years before the pandemic and there are indications that this year’s total will be even higher.
The organisation says the root cause is the strain on public services. Dozens of pools have closed in recent years, and more people are turning to wild swimming. The risks are compounded by a shortage of qualified lifeguards and swimming teachers.
Olivier Wiesner, 25, is a freelance paramedic who works with the HL Schiffstechnik boat company, which assembles the machines on Lake Constance. The freelance paramedic hit upon the idea after encountering the Dolphin 3 in China.
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“This drone is faster than any swimmer and so it enables an even more effective and rapid deployment to protect people against drowning,” Wiesner wrote on LinkedIn.
“Regardless of whether it is on a sea such as the Baltic, on a bathing lake or at a swimming beach, with this innovation you will contribute to reducing the number of people who die by drowning and increase their chances of survival.”
The drones have a battery life of more than an hour at a cruising speed of 10km/h and a radio range of about 800 metres. There is also a camera that sends a video feedback to the operator.
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There are plans to develop the devices to operate autonomously, which would mean they could be used on larger bodies of water or beyond the line of sight from the shore.
The DLRG, which has more than half a million members, emphasises that the craft are not meant to replace human lifeguards, but rather to augment their capabilities.
Timo Imhof, a board member of the DLRG’s regional branch in Baden, told the ZDF public broadcaster that they were often used at large events such as triathlons, where they can swiftly ferry rescuers to the scene if competitors get into difficulties.