The purchase was made possible through a generous grant of $7,500 from the Albemarle Foundation. Albermarle Corporation has a plant in South Haven. The Albemarle Foundation is employee-driven and seeks through its grants to make a positive, sustainable impact in the communities where its employees live and work.

Pictured are SHAES Chief Brandon Hinz and Phillip Kenreich, software engineer at Albermarle Corp. of South Haven.

The drone is equipped with a payload delivery system that is capable of dropping CO2-charged, water activated flotation devices to swimmers struggling in the water. Operated from the shore, the operator is able to view through a camera the distressed swimmer.

“We are excited to add this drone to our arsenal of water rescue tools for the upcoming summer months,” said SHAES executive director Brandon Hinz.

Last summer SHAES responded to 23 incidents involving people in distress on Lake Michigan. There were three drownings.

The drone is also equipped with an infrared camera that can be used to locate distressed swimmers in the dark. It is also capable of detecting heat signatures for search and rescue efforts in rural areas such as woods and cornfields.

The Albemarle Foundation has been generous to SHAES. Grants in recent years have been used to purchase water rescue equipment for paid-on-call staff and to acquire bicycles outfitted with EMS supplies for quick response in congested areas.