Open river-lake parks feature vast water areas and numerous entrances and exits, making it difficult for traditional fences and manual patrols to achieve full coverage. Drowning accidents often occur within seconds to tens of seconds; by the time someone notices and rescue begins, the golden window has already passed. Meanwhile, a video analysis system that costs millions of yuan is unrealistic for most parks. Is there a way to improve early warning efficiency without placing a heavy burden on finances and management?
In fact, the approach to building an intelligent drowning early warning system can be more lightweight. Instead of installing high-precision equipment across all water surfaces, it is better to focus on "risk points" and "critical time periods." For example, in deep-water areas, water-side platforms, and spots prone to wild swimming, ordinary cameras with AI recognition capabilities can be deployed to identify abnormal behaviors such as prolonged stillness, repeated head submersion, and violent limb flailing. These algorithms do not require high-end hardware; some functions can be achieved by upgrading existing surveillance systems.
A more economical supplementary solution is the combination of wearable wristbands and positioning base stations. When visitors enter dangerous water areas, they can voluntarily receive simple waterproof wristbands. The wristbands themselves do not track location; they only emit a specific frequency signal continuously after entering the water. Once the receiving base station on the shore detects that the signal has not changed for a long time or triggers depth sensing, it automatically sends an alert to the management platform. This method is extremely low-cost and is especially suitable for public areas with many children and elderly people.
In reality, the key to low cost is not simply piling up equipment, but implementing a tiered response. Front-end devices are responsible for detecting anomalies, and back-end staff only need to receive an alert with location markers on their phones or tablets to quickly notify nearby lifeguards. Meanwhile, the system can be linked to public address systems and searchlights to immediately issue voice warnings to people in the water, often persuading them to leave before an actual drowning occurs.
Of course, any technology is merely an aid. Park management also needs to develop clear emergency plans, conduct regular drills, and perform simple inspections of equipment. The intelligent early warning system solves the problem of "slow detection and slow response." What truly saves lives, in the end, is well-trained staff and the safety awareness of visitors themselves. A low cost means sustainability, and it also means this system can genuinely take root in the daily management of community-level parks.