Lifeguards and lifesavers on Sydney’s Northern Beaches will have a new weapon in their arsenal for protecting swimmers this summer thanks to a pair of Westpac Little Ripper drones providing additional patrol and rescue capability.

In a partnership between Northern Beaches Council, Australian Lifeguard Service and Westpac Little Ripper, a roving drone will be stationed between Freshwater and South Curl Curl beaches and another at Bilgola, courtesy of the generosity of benefactor Marcus Blackmore AM.

The Westpac Little Ripper UAVs – unmanned aerial vehicles or drones - feature shark-spotting technologies and floatation devices which can be dropped to struggling swimmers as well as a loud speaker to relay warnings and instructions. They will also be used to locate and rescue missing rock fishers when needed. 

Mayor Michel Regan said Northern Beaches Council was the only metropolitan Council in NSW protecting its beach and ocean users in this way this summer.  

“With more than seven million people hitting our spectacular beaches each year we are always looking for ways to keep them safe,” Mayor Regan said. 

“The Westpac Little Ripper UAV technology is now so advanced it can provide great support to life guards on the beach – looking for troubled surfers, spotting shark activity and dropping flotation devices to swimmers in distress.”

Steven Pearce from Australian Lifeguard Service said lifeguards were looking forward to having another potentially lifesaving tool on hand over summer.

“This really is an exciting opportunity to make use of 21st century technology to enhance our traditional beach services,” he said.

“In those emergency situations where a child is caught in a rip or a rock fisher washed over the shelf, the Westpac Little Ripper could literally be the difference between life and death while lifeguards get to the location or other lifesaving services arrive to extract the person from the water.

The trial starts on Saturday 16 December and will run until the end of January.