CABLE, WI. (Northern News Now) – In a year full of firsts, the 50th American Birkebeiner race introduced a new technology capable of saving skiers’ lives on the course.
“Can a drone deliver an AED on a lengthy course where it might take rescuers more time to get to them or it’s you know inaccessible terrain,” Wayne Baker with DJI, a drone manufacturing company, said the Birkie Medical Team asked him before this year’s race.
Last year, two skiers died from cardiac events during the race.
AED stands for Automated External Defibrillator, which is a device that sends an electronic shock to the heart to restore its normal rhythm to people experiencing cardiac arrest.
Drones are not new to the race, but using them to deliver an AED has never been done before in any sporting event.
“We have numerous drones on site being utilized by Birkie media staff to get video, get a different perspective of the race, and then ours is committed simply to be on standby to deliver that AED if need be,” said Baker.
Baker and Michael Randall with the Birkie Medical Team explained the biggest problem this drone can solve is shortening the response time for a cardiac event that happens in a remote part of the course.
How fast someone receives medical attention could be the difference between life and death.
“Now pretty much there’s an AED everywhere and somebody who knows how to use it,” said Randall. “The only hurdle at this point is getting the AED to someone who is not easily accessible. It looks like we’re solving that problem as well.”
Randall believes if it proves to be a success, this is just the beginning for drones.
“All the things they’re doing with it, flying organ transplant organs across cities, within minutes, they’re being used for search and rescue,” said Randall. “I think we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s capable of some of the things that we can do with drones.”
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