Volusia County Beach Safety Recovers University’s Runaway Underwater Research Drone

Posted On: October 30, 2026

Volusia County Beach Safety personnel are accustomed to responding to a variety of situations along the County's coastline, but an unusual call this morning led to the successful recovery of an underwater research drone belonging to the University of Georgia.

The unusual recovery began when representatives from the university's Skidaway Institute of Oceanography contacted Beach Safety about a weather-monitoring underwater drone they had lost control of several days earlier. Although researchers could no longer operate the equipment remotely, they continued tracking its location and determined it was approaching the shoreline near Ponce Inlet.

Beach Safety personnel dispatched a unit to the area to locate the approaching drone. A little before 9 a.m., personnel located the equipment about knee-deep in the water and brought it ashore safely. With the drone secured, they transported it to Beach Safety headquarters.

Following the recovery, Beach Safety contacted representatives from the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography to confirm that the drone had been safely recovered and secured at County headquarters. Upon receiving the good news, university officials immediately dispatched a team to Volusia County to retrieve the equipment. The team arrived earlier today to reclaim the drone, bringing an unusual morning assignment to a successful conclusion.

While the equipment was certainly an unusual find, the response demonstrated Beach Safety's readiness to assist with situations beyond its traditional lifesaving responsibilities. Through prompt action and coordination with university researchers, personnel successfully recovered the research equipment and ensured its safe return.