I definitely would have felt safer knowing there was a drone in the sky above me, ready to drop a flotation device on me. Our lifesavers do a great job, but it's a long, long way from the beach out to a drowning swimmer.
The presence of drones will likely encourage people to take more risks in rough surf. The same thing happened with car air bags-- when they were introduced, people with airbags drove more aggressively, negating the safety benefit.
It wasn't a conscious choice. It was only something I became aware of once I'd had that dangerous experience in the water.
Risk management is a funny thing.
It's there a "pocket-sized" buoyancy aid that locks into a small canister you can strap to your wrist/ankle? I'd guess not due to insurance liabilities.
Yes, yes there is. It straps to your wrist and uses a CO2 canister like the ones used to inflate bicycle tyres: https://www.amazon.com/Kingii-Lightweight-Wearable-Portable-...