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Moscow Recruits Drones to Help Lifeguards at 11 Public Beaches This Summer

Sergey Vedyashkin / Moskva News Agency

Eleven city beaches suitable for swimming have opened in Moscow for the summer, this year with the addition of patrol-drones and rescue dogs for added safety.

Muscovites can cool their heads at 11 urban beaches every year from June 1 to Sept. 1, including ponds like Serebryany Bor 2 and 3 in northern Moscow, Levoberezhny and Akademicheskiye Prudy.

“The drones will help rescue workers quickly detect drowning [swimmers], unattended children, as well as those who make bonfires in the wrong places,” Moscow City Hall announced Friday.

Twenty unmanned aerial vehicles will beam live images into the rescue workers’ tablet computers, a year after the technology was tested over Moskva River, it added.

On the ground, at least 10 volunteer Newfoundlands, Golden retrievers and other rescue dogs will roam the ponds wearing bright orange vests equipped with rescue handles to latch onto.

“Having grabbed onto it, the drowning person will be easily brought ashore by the dog,” City Hall said.

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