Emergency responders test out 'jet suit paramedic' gear in Britain

Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Emergency responders in Britain tested out a new "jet suit" that could soon be used by paramedics and search and rescue workers covering difficult terrain.

Richard Browning, founder of Gravity Industries and the inventor of the jet suit, took on piloting duties for the test carried out this week in partnership with the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

Browning took the suit to heights of 10 to 20 feet in a simulated search for a party of walkers lost on the Langdale Pikes.

The inventor was able to find the walkers within minutes, a feat officials said would have taken more than an hour on foot.

The test is part of a program that officials said could see "jet suit paramedics" donning similar equipment as early as next summer.