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If Your Drone Falls into Icy Cold Water, Don't Try Getting it out

A Melbourne man has learned this lesson the hard way.

A micro drone. Image via Flickr user rawdonfox

Drones: they've given us so much. Police use them to hunt down bush weed. They can create cool robo-graffiti. They're even delivering pizza, now. If you're not living in a war zone, drones are great.

In fact, last night a South Yarra man loved his drone so much that he was prepared to die for it.

The 22-year-old was visiting popular Melbourne tourist spot St Kilda Pier with a friend late Monday evening, preparing to take photos using a camera attached to the drone in question. Unfortunately he slipped, and the drone fell into the icy cold churning waters of Port Phillip Bay.

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The man then stripped down to his underwear and flung himself into the sea to conduct a drone rescue mission, apparently without thought for his personal safety. Predictably, the freezing waters caused his limbs to cramp and he was unable to swim back to safety—or find his drone.

According to a statement from Victorian police, "the drone rescue quickly turned into a scramble to get the man out due to the coldness of the water. He was cramping and too cold to move and was not able to get back up to the pier as there was no ladder."

The police were called around 2:45 AM, and were able to retrieve the man. His friend, along with a random bystander, were able to MacGyver a rope out of the man's clothes that he held onto while waiting for the police to arrive and rescue him.

The man is now in hospital suffering from exposure. According to the police statement, he was in the water for about 30 minutes.

Tragically, his drone has not been recovered. Follow Kat on Twitter