Florida fisherman uses drone to rescue teen girl fighting rip current | Video

PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. -- A fisherman used a drone to help save the life of a teen girl fighting a rip current in Florida.

"I was shaking pretty badly. It was nerve-wracking, I about cried," Andrew Smith said.

Smith says he was fishing on Pensacola Beach, when he saw a swimmer struggling in a rip current about 100 yards offshore.

"I was sitting there, and this girl came running, asking if anybody could swim. I said, 'no, I absolutely could not swim.' I looked down at the drone and was like, 'The drone can swim, but I can't,'" Smith said.

That's when Smith grabbed his drone, which he uses to cast bait.

He tied a flotation device to the drone, hoping to fly it out the teenage girl.

SEE ALSO: Influencer Emilie Kiser's 3-year-old son dies following drowning incident

But, he missed on the first try.

"I flew it out, and it was a terrible miss. I released it too early; it was really windy," Smith said.

By now, the girl had been battling the rip current for five long minutes.

Then, someone gave Smith a second flotation device.

"I lowered it until you could see her hands grab it, and then I lowered it a little more and I released it. She climbed on and started floating," Smith said. "If it wasn't for that second drop, she wouldn't have made it. The EMS said she wouldn't have made it, the cops and the lifeguards."

The girl was able to use the flotation device until first responders arrived.