Emergency rescue drone nighttime search drill held in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

Recently, a nighttime search and rescue drone drill was officially launched in the Dongxin Port waters of Yangzhong in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Representatives from the Yangtze River Navigation Bureau, downstream navigation units, riverside emergency standby points, professional rescue and salvage organizations, and counterpart support units attended to observe. This drill was hosted by the Yangtze River Nanjing Water Emergency Rescue Base, organized by the Zhenjiang Jingkou Lifesaving Association, and co-organized by the Yangtze River Zhenjiang Navigation Office. It served as a practical test of the "joint learning, joint training, and joint practice" collaboration between the rescue base, emergency standby points, and local lifesaving forces. Additionally, it was an important part of the series of events celebrating the thousandth anniversary of the Jingkou Lifesaving Association.

Under the night sky, four subjects were carried out sequentially and seamlessly connected. In the obstacle flight subject, the drone operator controlled the drone to fly at low altitude through multiple obstacles, accurately completing continuous obstacle avoidance maneuvers, honing the ability to precisely control in complex water environments. In the firefighting subject, a DJI medium-sized transport drone equipped with firefighting bombs ascended, hovered, and dropped bombs at designated points, achieving remote firefighting in one smooth operation, demonstrating the practical effectiveness of aerial firefighting. The nighttime search subject, as the core subject, involved the DJI night vision drone using infrared thermal imaging mode to scan the entire river surface along a grid-like route, transmitting high-definition images and precise coordinates in real time, showcasing the unique advantages of intelligent equipment in nighttime search and rescue. In the formation flight subject, multiple drones coordinated in groups, with uniform formation changes, demonstrating the collaborative synergy of multi-drone joint operations.

The equipment lineup for this drill was comprehensive, including amphibious drones, DJI medium-sized transport drones, DJI night vision drones, and firefighting bombs, among other professional equipment. It covered multiple rescue scenarios such as aerial search, precise delivery, and amphibious operations, thoroughly testing the operational capabilities of the drone team in low-visibility nighttime conditions and complex hydrological environments.

As the organizer, the Jingkou Lifesaving Association originated in the Song Dynasty and is an important witness to ancient China's water rescue efforts, having a history spanning a thousand years. This drill deeply integrated the millennia-old lifesaving culture with modern intelligent rescue technology, serving both as a continuation of the traditional lifesaving spirit of "mutual assistance and rescuing those in distress" and as an active exploration of the intelligent transformation of water emergency rescue in the new era. It holds special historical and practical significance.

Through this joint drill, the collaborative coordination mechanism between the rescue base, emergency standby points, and local lifesaving forces was further refined, standardizing the operational procedures for drone-based water emergency rescue and enhancing the nighttime intelligent emergency response capabilities in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Moving forward, all parties will continue to deepen the mechanism of joint learning, training, and rescue, promoting the integration of traditional lifesaving experience with modern technological methods, working together to strengthen the nighttime emergency rescue safety network in the lower Yangtze River waters, injecting new intelligent momentum into safeguarding the water safety of the Yangtze River Golden Waterway.