First responders at the Jersey Shore are training with a new water rescue robot designed to quickly reach swimmers in trouble as lifeguard staffing dwindles late in the summer. Members of the High Point Volunteer Fire Company in Harvey Cedars are learning how to use the newly acquired Dolphin 3, a remote-controlled device that can race through waves under its own power. “It’s going to allow us to put a rescue device in the water quickly, pinpoint it to where we want it,” High Point Volunteer Fire Company Assistant Chief Nick Caricato said. The water rescue drone can provide flotation to someone struggling in the ocean or bring a swimmer back to the beach without putting first responders at risk. A first responder in the water can also control the Dolphin 3. The fire company is training with the device as summer winds down and beach patrols along the coast contend with fewer lifeguards as many return to school. “We’re now training on it so that by the time the lifeguards leave we are proficient with it and able to deploy it effectively,” High Point Volunteer Fire Company Chief Paul Rice said. Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol Chief Randy Townsend said staffing is already declining. “We’re losing lifeguards on a daily basis. Staff is getting shorter. We’re having to close beaches, too as well,” Townsend said. That puts more responsibility for water rescues on local firefighters. “Come Labor Day when they go back to school, it falls on the fire department to do that job. So we want to be better equipped and this is our answer to that question,” Caricato said. The robot can also be sent to multiple people in trouble in the ocean at the same time and can support up to 1,000 pounds. “Perfectly sustainable for them to just hang on and float until a jet ski arrives,” Caricato said. When unmanned, the Dolphin 3 can reach a top speed of 15 m.p.h. and has a remote-controlled range of about half a mile. The High Point Volunteer Fire Company spent roughly $10,000 on the robot. Rice said the potential to save a life makes the investment worthwhile. “If it saves one life, you know, three times as much would have been worth it,” Rice said. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less