Police officers dispatched a water rescue robot to save a woman swept away by sea waves in eastern China.

The video was filmed in the city of Qingdao in Shandong Province on July 23.

Around 8:40 am, the Huangdao Public Security Bureau received a call about a woman being carried farther out to sea by the waves while swimming with an inflatable ring, unable to return to the shore.

Officers from Langya police station were immediately dispatched with a water rescue robot to the incident site and nearby vessels were alerted to assist.

"When we arrived, the woman was screaming for help," Officer Song Jianqiang recounted. The sea was incredibly turbulent, with waves reaching over 3 metres high. The woman had been swept about 500 metres offshore and was continuing to drift further away - a dire situation.

Despite the police's best efforts to navigate the rescue robot towards the woman, the ferocious waves repeatedly pushed it away, preventing her from grabbing onto it.

With time running out, Officer Chen Yongbo, a former navy serviceman and swimmer, dived into the sea. "He has an excellent swimming ability," stated Officer Song. Chen persistently pushed the robot towards the woman until she managed to grab onto it. Afterwards, the police remotely steered the robot, bringing the woman safely back to the shore.

Upon inquiry, the woman was found to be from Xinxiang, Henan Province, who had come to the beach for a morning outing with her son. At around 7:00 am, she was playing in the shallow water with an inflatable ring, with her feet still touching the ground.

Unexpectedly, a large wave swept her into deeper water, where she was unable to touch the bottom. Struggling to maintain balance on the inflatable ring, she was carried further away by the waves, screaming for help all the while.

Upon witnessing his mother's peril, the son broke down in tears on the beach. Other nearby beachgoers attempted to rescue her, but the waves were too high for anyone to approach. A bystander dialled the emergency number, triggering the sequence of events leading to the rescue.

This was the first successful deployment of a water rescue robot by Qingdao's Coastal Police. As the number of emergencies increase during summer, the police department has equipped more than 30 water rescue robots across various stations and conducted extensive training. These robots, capable of operating remotely or autonomously, can travel at speeds of up to 17.9 mph in choppy seas and run for up to 95 minutes.

Equipped with a grip bar, they can aid up to four individuals simultaneously, ensuring quick responses to emergencies and reducing the risks involved in rescue efforts.

The video was provided by local media with permission.

7月23日上午，山东青岛西海岸新区琅琊台龙湾附近海域发生险情：一名女子在浅海游玩时，被海浪推向远处……青岛市公安局海岸警察支队琅琊台派出所民警接警到场后，使用水上救援机器人将女游客救回。
当天上午8时40分许，黄岛公安分局接到群众报警求助，琅琊台龙湾附近海边，一名女子携带着游泳圈在海边戏水时，被涌浪推向海里离岸越来越远，无法返回。海岸警察支队琅琊台派出所民警立刻携带水上救援机器人赶往事发的海边，并联系周边船舶前去配合救援。
“我们到达现场后，女游客正在大声呼救。”民警宋健强介绍，当时海面浪最高有3米多，女子被大浪卷到了离岸边约500米的地方，越漂越远，情况十分危急。民警迅速将水上救援机器人放到海里，操作它驶向女游客，但风浪太大，机器人每每靠近女游客，就被大浪推开，女游客一直抓不住机器人。
千钧一发之际，派出所辅警陈永波脱下制服跳进了海里。“他曾在海军服役，还参加过部队的游泳比赛，水性很好。”民警宋健强称，陈永波下水后将机器人不断推向女子，最终让她一把抓住了机器人。随后，民警操作机器人，将女子带回了岸边。

民警询问后得知，这名女子来自河南新乡，当天早晨带着儿子来海边游玩。早晨7时许，女子抱着一个游泳圈在浅海戏水，当时脚还能踩着水底，没想到一个大浪过来，将女子卷进了深处。女子的脚踏不着水底，为了确保游泳圈的平衡又不敢扑棱，只能一边大声呼喊，一边随着浪漂得越来越远。
儿子发现妈妈遇险后，在海边不断哭喊，附近其他游客听见后试图下海救援，但海浪太大谁也靠近不了。岸边一名游客拨打了110求救，随后就发生了之前的一幕。

7月23日上午的这次救援，是青岛海岸警察使用水上救援机器人的“首战”。夏季海边险情增多，为了便于救援，青岛市公安局海岸警察支队已装备了30多个水上救援机器人，每个派出所都配备了一个，并展开过理论与实际操作相结合的培训。
水上救援机器人是一款具备遥控/本机控制模式救援设备，支持正反双面行驶，支持实时图传功能、具备在风浪中快速行驶能力，速度达到8米每秒，续航时间高达95分钟。机器人配备抓握横杆，便于被困人员抓握到机器人，可同时拖拽4人。遇到险情时，可迅速出警，为救援抢险赢得宝贵时间，降低救援风险。