The rescue marks the first known rescue performed by a drone.
New South Wales’s government has invested nearly a half a million dollars in drone technology to assist in coastal safety and shark mitigation.
“The Little Ripper UAV certainly proved itself today, it is an amazingly efficient piece of lifesaving equipment and a delight to fly,” Sheridan said in the Sydney Morning Herald.
“I was able to launch it, fly it to the location, and drop the pod all in about one to two minutes. On a normal day that would have taken our lifeguards a few minutes longer to reach the members of the public.”