Drones that have racked up countless hours flying above Australian beaches on watch for drowning situations and approaching sharks may soon start scanning the waters for another potentially deadly threat: box jellyfish.

While multiple Australian states have for the past few years provided lifeguard teams with drones as an aerial asset to scan the beaches and waters for trouble, the Queensland city of Mackay wants to expand use of the craft to detect groups of box jellyfish. The push comes after a 14-year-old boy died in February after being stung by one of the marine invertebrates, whose toxin is described as the most lethal of all the world’s venomous creatures – provoking death in as fast as two minutes. 

Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson wants to prevent future fatalities from occurring on his watch, and is urging the Surf Lifesaving Queensland lifeguard association to train operators to spot jellyfish from on high in addition to threats like sharks and…

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Source: dronedj.com