Indian-American engineer's drone boat powers first US sea rescue

An unmanned boat designed by an Indian-American engineer carried out the first sea rescue by a drone in the United States. The vessel, developed by engineer S. K. Gupta, was deployed to save a swimmer in distress off the coast of California.

The drone boat, named Guardian, was remotely operated by a team on shore. It reached the swimmer within minutes and provided a flotation device until a manned rescue boat arrived.

Gupta, who founded the company AquaDrone, said the rescue demonstrated the potential of unmanned vessels for emergency response. The Coast Guard praised the operation as a milestone in maritime safety.

The swimmer was safely brought to shore and did not require medical attention. Gupta hopes the success will lead to broader adoption of drone boats for search and rescue missions.