Prehosp Emerg Care. 2020 May-Jun;24(3):451-458. doi: 10.1080/10903127.2019.1657211. Epub 2019 Sep 10.
This preliminary report describes our experience using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to identify swimmers in distress at the 2018 Mont-Tremblant IRONMAN triathlon (Quebec, Canada). In a prospective pilot study, we sought to determine whether UAV surveillance could identify swimmers showing signs of distress quicker than conventional methods (i.e., lifeguards on the ground and on watercraft). In addition, we investigated the feasibility of using UAVs for medical surveillance at a triathlon event in terms of operations, costs, safety, legal parameters, and added value. Prior to the race, we screened participants for medical conditions that could elevate their risk of injury during the swim portion of the triathlon. Athletes deemed to be at increased risk were given a yellow swimming cap to enhance their surveillance by trained observers watching a live video feed from the UAVs. On race day, a total of 3 UAVs (2 mobile, 1 tethered) were launched over Lake Tremblant and provided 3 observers with live video of the swimmers. Of the 2,473 race participants, there were 25 athletes with pre-identified medical conditions who wore a yellow cap during the swim. We did not detect any signs of distress among swimmers wearing yellow caps. Among the remaining 2,448 athletes, there were 5 swimmers who demonstrated signs of distress and required mobilization of water rescue boats; UAV surveillance identified 1 of these 5 distress events before it was seen by lifeguards on rescue boats. None of the athletes in the IRONMAN suffered an adverse event while swimming. Several technical and safety issues related to UAV surveillance arose including poor visibility, equipment loss, and flight autonomy. While our preliminary findings suggest that using UAVs to identify distressed swimmers during an IRONMAN race is feasible and safe, more research is necessary to determine how to optimize UAV surveillance at mass sporting events and integrate this technology within the existing emergency response teams.
本初步报告介绍了我们在 2018 年魁北克省蒙特伦勃朗铁人三项赛（加拿大）中使用无人机（UAV）识别溺水者的经验。在一项前瞻性试点研究中，我们试图确定无人机监测是否比传统方法（即地面和水上救生员）更快地识别出有溺水迹象的游泳者。此外，我们还研究了在铁人三项赛中使用无人机进行医疗监测的可行性，包括操作、成本、安全、法律参数和附加值。在比赛前，我们对可能增加他们在铁人三项游泳部分受伤风险的参赛者进行了医疗状况筛查。被认为风险较高的运动员会被戴上黄色泳帽，以便通过观看无人机实时视频的受过训练的观察员加强对他们的监测。在比赛日，共出动了 3 架无人机（2 架移动，1 架系留）飞越特伦布兰顿湖，并为 3 名观察员提供了游泳者的实时视频。在 2473 名参赛选手中，有 25 名有预先确定的医疗条件的运动员在游泳时戴着黄色泳帽。我们没有发现戴黄色泳帽的游泳者有任何溺水迹象。在其余的 2448 名运动员中，有 5 名游泳者表现出溺水迹象，需要调动水上救援船；无人机监测在救生员从救援船上发现这 5 起溺水事件中的 1 起之前就发现了这起溺水事件。在铁人三项赛中，没有运动员游泳时发生不良事件。与无人机监测相关的一些技术和安全问题已经出现，包括能见度差、设备丢失和飞行自主性。虽然我们的初步研究结果表明，在铁人三项赛中使用无人机识别溺水者是可行和安全的，但还需要进一步研究如何优化大规模体育赛事中的无人机监测，并将这项技术整合到现有的应急响应团队中。
