Noordwijk, 23 September 2026 – The joint drone project of the Katwijk Rescue Brigade, the Noordwijk Rescue Brigade, and Unmanned Valley has been named the winner in the Carefree Beach category of the Coastal Initiative of the Year 2026 awards. The award was presented on 23 September during a meeting of the Dutch Coastal Days.

Within the project, volunteers are trained to deploy drones professionally as a complement to existing rescue equipment. Drones can quickly provide an overview, detect dangerous rip currents, and support search operations and incident response.

“Every summer we see how a relaxing day at the beach can turn in seconds. A child goes missing, or a swimmer is pulled away by a rip current. At moments like these, every second counts. With a drone, our volunteers get a quicker overview and can take more targeted action,” says Harry Admiraal, chairman of the Noordwijk Rescue Brigade.

Twenty volunteers have now been trained for standard drone flights. Ten of them also completed advanced training for more complex operations. Supported by Unmanned Valley, operational procedures have been developed and practical flights conducted.

“With this initiative, we can spot danger sooner and potentially intervene before a situation gets out of hand. After all, the best rescue is the one that isn't needed. By pooling our knowledge, we are also developing an approach that could soon be of value to other rescue brigades,” says Walter Kort, Head of Tech & Challenges at Unmanned Valley.

The knowledge and procedures gained are being shared so that other rescue brigades can also benefit from them.

“This initiative shows what is possible when regional expertise, technology, and social commitment come together. The collaboration between the rescue brigades and Unmanned Valley leads to a tangible innovation that makes the coast safer and is also more widely applicable. That is exactly the kind of development we want to stimulate in the Duin- en Bollenstreek,” says Steph van Es, director of Economic Board Duin en Bollenstreek.

The project is supported by the municipalities of Katwijk and Noordwijk, Economic Board Duin en Bollenstreek, Holland Rijnland, Rabobank Leiden-Katwijk, Rabobank Bollenstreek, and the Noordwijk Tourist Development Fund Foundation. The initiators would like to thank all partners for their commitment and contribution.