The Protection and Rescue Service of the Municipality of Tivat (SZS) was left without an expensive drone for searching the terrain, which is equipped with a video and thermal camera, which allows it to detect the presence of a person in the field even at night and in conditions of reduced visibility.
A drone crashed and sustained damage during a search and rescue operation for a Russian tourist who got lost in dense undergrowth in the Tivatska Solila Nature Reserve area on July 19.
The Tivat Police Station announced that day that at 3:20 p.m. they received a report from the Operational Communications Center (OCC) that a foreign citizen had gone missing in the Solilo area.
"The missing person was located using a thermal imaging drone. Due to the extremely inaccessible terrain, covered in bushes and scrub, the rescue team reached her at 5:50 p.m., while the entire rescue operation was completed at 6:50 p.m. After being pulled to accessible terrain, the person was handed over to the Emergency Medical Service for further care and transport," the SZS announced at the time.
However, they did not inform the public that the drone that was purchased for the Tivat Police Station three years ago, through a campaign to collect voluntary donations at a donor ball organized by the "Regent Porto Montenegro" Hotel, was practically destroyed in that action.
The special high-performance surveillance drone, for reconnaissance of the terrain in day and night conditions, is worth 15.730 euros, is equipped with a thermal imaging camera, a search camera in night and low-visibility conditions, as well as a laser rangefinder that accurately measures distances in the range of three to 1.200 meters. It can stay in the air for 41 minutes, climbs to an altitude of 6.500 meters and flies to a maximum distance of seven kilometers from the operator.
The valuable aircraft "did not survive" an attempt by Tivat firefighters to use a drone, which was intended for terrain reconnaissance and not cargo transport, to deliver a bottle of drinking water to firefighters who had found a lost Russian woman in the bushes.
The commander took responsibility for the decision.
When asked by "Vijesti" to clarify the circumstances under which this happened, the Tivat Municipality's SZS said that their drone "was not destroyed, but was damaged during the search and rescue operation for a foreign citizen in the Solila area."
"The extent of the damage is currently being assessed by the insurance company. It has been preliminarily determined that the engine, battery, cameras, as well as two propeller branches are functional, while the other two propeller branches are damaged," the SZS stated, adding that the drone operator, after training, passed the drone operator exam, while the remotely piloted aircraft itself is insured.
They denied that the expensive drone for reconnaissance and terrain search was used for an inappropriate purpose on this occasion.
"According to the technical specification, this is a type of drone that, in addition to the equipment for observation and detection, has the ability to lift and transport additional loads weighing 3 to 5 lb, or approximately 1,5 to 2,3 kilograms. This ability is one of the characteristics of the device itself. Due to the extremely demanding terrain and conditions in which the search was conducted, the drone operator was, by order of the commander of the Protection and Rescue Service of the Municipality of Tivat, involved in the search for the missing person. The density and height of the vegetation further complicated the visual detection of the person being searched for. After the person was located, it was assessed that there was an immediate risk of dehydration, which is why the commander of the Service made the decision to use the drone to deliver a small amount of water to the rescuers in the field. At the given moment, the priority was to protect the life and health of the person found and prevent their possible collapse, which would further complicate the extraction and transport from the inaccessible location," explain the SZS, headed by the commander Milorad Giljaca.
They emphasized that "during the operation, the drone was used for rescue purposes, and not for purposes other than those arising from its technical characteristics and capabilities."
"A final judgment on the circumstances of the damage, as well as the amount of any material damage, will be possible after the insurance company's assessment. The Municipality of Tivat expects that the costs of repairing the drone will be covered by the insurance policy. If the insurance does not cover the damage and it is necessary to provide funds for the repair from the local government budget, the SZS commander has taken responsibility for the decision made on the ground, taking into account the circumstances and the priority of protecting the life and health of the person being searched for."
The specification says it can carry 228 grams.
However, the destroyed drone is a DJI Matrice 30 T aircraft whose primary purpose is to search the terrain and conduct aerial surveillance with the video, thermal and laser sensors it carries (which fall within the weight mentioned by SZS Tivat), and not to transport cargo. According to the technical specifications of the manufacturer, the Chinese company DJI, with the sensors it carries and the double battery that powers the drone, it weighs 3,77 kilograms, and the maximum permitted take-off weight of the drone is limited to 3,99 kilograms.
This means that it can only be used in extreme emergencies to carry additional cargo weighing up to 228 grams. This corresponds, for example, to the weight of a mobile phone that the drone could eventually (but only with the use of additional equipment, a drop&hook system - special grippers for attaching and releasing additional cargo from the aircraft) "deliver" to someone in the field in case of need.
The manufacturer clearly warns that, although the engines are strong enough to lift a slightly heavier load from the ground, the factory does not recommend it. Namely, any additional load, such as a half-liter bottle of water, drastically reduces flight stability, impairs the drone's maneuverability, its resistance to wind, and makes it much more difficult to control. Therefore, the manufacturer clearly warns customers that if they use the drone for such purposes, the factory warranty on the aircraft will become invalid. Namely, the electronic flight log database that the drones automatically collect and that is available to the manufacturer will immediately record any case of using the aircraft above its prescribed maximum permissible take-off weight, which automatically voids the manufacturer's warranty for eliminating the consequences if the drone is damaged or crashed in such cases.
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