Case Study: San Francisco Police Department rescues stranded kite surfer with Skydio DFR

San Francisco Police Department rescues stranded kite surfer in 1 mission with Skydio

The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) faced the challenge of rapidly locating and rescuing a kite surfer in distress several hundred meters offshore near the Golden Gate Bridge. To address this emergency, they utilized their Drone as First Responder (DFR) program powered by Skydio technology.

Skydio's solution enabled SFPD to launch a drone that quickly located the stranded surfer. DFR pilots coordinated directly with the fire department, using the live drone feed to hover over the surfer and guide a rescue jet ski to his exact location. The real-time investigation center also worked with the Coast Guard to consolidate duplicate emergency calls, preventing an unnecessary second search. As a result of Skydio's technology and the coordinated response, the surfer was safely returned to shore uninjured.

San Francisco Police Department (sfpd)