Soon, AI tech will monitor UAE waters to prevent drowning incidents

Soon, AI tech will monitor UAE waters to prevent drowning incidents

This technology will be rolled out on several beaches in the country before the end of this year, expert says

Published: Tue 25 Jul 2023, 2:52 PM Last updated: Tue 25 Jul 2023, 2:54 PM

Soon, cameras put up on UAE beaches will be equipped with a new artificial intelligence-based technology that can help lifeguards monitor swimmers and identify risks.

Water safety and first aid company Blueguard is working with a technology provider that can make this possible.

“On a busy day on the beach, there are hundreds of swimmers in the sea and just one or two lifeguards,” said Luke Cunningham, founder and managing director of Blueguard. “This technology can detect how many people are in the water and if any swimmer is in distress. This information is relayed back to the lifeguard.”

According to Cunningham, this technology will be rolled out on several beaches in the UAE before the end of this year. This comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) observed July 25th as the first-ever drowning prevention day.

Previous incidents

“Every drowning is completely preventable,” said Cunningham. “People need to realise that while the water is a safe and relaxing place with a lot of healing properties, there are associated dangers with it.”

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