Life Vest
Deployment System
Aerial deployment of inflatable life vests from drone platforms over the beaches of Fuengirola and Mijas — cutting maritime rescue response time from minutes to seconds. Covered by Cuatro, Telecinco, COPE and Canal Sur.
When seconds are the difference between life and death.
Developed in collaboration with AEROMEDIA, this system deploys an inflatable life vest from a drone directly to a swimmer in distress — before a human lifeguard could physically reach them.
Traditional rescue requires a lifeguard to swim out, which in rough surf can take 3–5 critical minutes. This system puts a flotation device in the hands of a drowning person in under 10 seconds of flight, at ranges up to 800 m offshore.
Fuengirola has been a pioneer in Spain since 2017 — the first municipality on the Costa del Sol to deploy aerial drone rescue. Eight years later, it remains a national reference point. AEROMEDIA has operated the service continuously, logging over 2,600 missions in a single summer month, with zero drowning fatalities on Fuengirola beaches.
The system attracted national television coverage in August 2025, with reports on Cuatro and Telecinco, plus radio coverage on COPE and a feature on Canal Sur. The same fleet operates in neighbouring Mijas since 2021 under the AEROMEDIA SafeDron contract.
Eight years of operation.
Zero drowning fatalities.
Watch the system
in action.
Drones de emergencias —
Fuengirola & Mijas.
Covered by national and
international media.
Cuatro TV covered the system with reporter Patricia Palacios. The report highlighted how Fuengirola's drone fleet achieved six rescues in 15 days during summer 2025, with zero drowning fatalities.
Read on Cuatro.com →Telecinco reported on how the drone surveillance system works as a life-saving complement to traditional lifeguard services, emphasizing the system's rapid deployment capability.
Read on Telecinco.es →Reportaje de Noticias 2 sobre la flota de cuatro drones AEROMEDIA que vigila el litoral de Fuengirola. Imágenes en directo del dron sobre la playa lanzando salvavidas durante una intervención.
Ver en Canal Sur →COPE covered the expansion of the drone program as a first-of-its-kind initiative in Andalucía, interviewing local authorities about the safety improvements achieved.
Read on COPE.es →Detailed breakdown of how the system operates on Fuengirola's coastline, including response procedures, equipment specs, and statistics from the 2025 summer season.
Read article →Official municipal report: 2,600+ missions, 361 flight hours, and 4 rescues in a single two-month period. 54 lifeguards supported by 4 aerial units covering all municipal beaches.
Official report →From alert to rescue
in under 30 seconds.
Swimmer spotted
Drone operators monitor the full coastline via HD camera feeds. A swimmer in distress is identified visually or flagged by lifeguards on the ground.
Airborne in 10 seconds
The drone activates and is airborne within 10 seconds. Four units cover all Fuengirola beaches simultaneously, 11:00–20:00 every summer day.
On-site at speed
Flying at speed towards the GPS-confirmed position, the drone reaches a person 200–800 m offshore in seconds — before a lifeguard could physically arrive.
Vest released
A single command releases the self-inflating life vest. It inflates in 2 seconds on water contact, keeping the swimmer afloat until the rescue team arrives by jet ski.
"Fuengirola fue de las primeras en incorporar los drones para la seguridad en las playas, y ocho años después sigue siendo un referente de innovación a nivel nacional." — Ana María Mula, Alcaldesa de Fuengirola