Drone helps rescue window cleaner

The drone detected the technical malfunction of the scaffold and utilised audiovisual monitoring to instruct the worker to repair the malfunction himself.

A wireless remote-controlled drone helped rescue an Asian window cleaner from the 10th floor of a high-rise building in the Capital on Tuesday. The drone, which belongs to the Security Media Department, first relayed a message to calm the panicked worker, who attempted to abandon the scaffold to cling to a window.

The drone detected the technical malfunction of the scaffold and utilised audiovisual monitoring to instruct the worker to repair the malfunction himself. The man had been trapped outside a high-rise building on Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street.

On being informed about the cleaner’s plight, the Operations Room of the Abu Dhabi Police dispatched Civil Defence officials, police patrols, Security Media drone, and an ambulance to the site. The teams evacuated the surrounding areas to ensure the safety of pedestrians.

After rescuing the cleaner, on-site medical tests were conducted.

The police have urged maintenance and contracting companies to observe security and safety procedures and to ensure the quality of the equipment, most particularly the scaffolding. Companies should also perform routine maintenance in order to ensure safety and train workers on handling malfunctions.

news@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE