WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital and WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial Hospital deserve the community’s thanks for stepping forward to provide a much-needed tool to the Ohio County Emergency Management Agency: an underwater drone.

The drone now can be deployed during swift-water rescue operations, flooding, drownings and even police investigations, EMA Director Lou Vargo said. It could have been particularly useful during rescue operations following the June 14 flash flooding.

“The drone can confirm the images that we see on the side-scan sonar before we send a diver or swift water person there,” Vargo said. “The drone could also confirm for us that, ‘No, that’s just some debris,’ and that helps the incident commander running the swift water or dive team decide whether to send divers. … This drone is just one more step that increases the safety factor for our firefighters and our swift water people.”

The drone will be the first in the region.

This is an invaluable tool provided by WVU Medicine. Hospital leaders deserve the community’s thanks for this life-saving donation.