Concerns about the dangers of drones have risen after one nearly caused a potentially disastrous collision with a rescue helicopter on the Gold Coast.
The small device flew dangerously close to the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter over Burleigh Heads on Wednesday afternoon.
It was the latest in a string of worrying drone incidents and has authorities urging operators to follow safety rules, which include flying under 120 metres.
The drone was flying at the same altitude as the rescue helicopter when the crew spotted it metres away.
The rescue service's safety manager, David O'Brien, said it was concerning given a drone could take a helicopter down.
"We think it's the worst case scenario, but most likely a helicopter would be grounded for a couple of days for maintenance," he told AAP.
Mr O'Brien said his crews were seeing an increasing number of drones on routine patrols and the incident highlighted the need for their operators to be careful.
"It's a lot easier for them to see us," he said.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) have both been notified about the near miss.
CASA is still awaiting a detailed report, but spokesman Peter Gibson said there were regulations drone operators had to adhere to.
"There is an increased number of drones out there, we don't know if this was a recreational drone or a commercial drone," he told AAP.
"It does highlight the importance of people being aware and following the safety rules, part of those is staying under 400 feet (120 metres) and never causing a hazard to an aircraft."
The incident comes just three months after a skydiving plane had a near miss with a drone at 335 metres over Adelaide. The pilot spotted the drone about 30 metres beneath her as she prepared to land at Parafield Airport.
The ATSB last year investigated drone incidents at Toowoomba Airport and the World Cup Cricket final in Melbourne.
The ATSB is yet to make a decision about whether it will investigate the latest incident.
Mr Gibson urged anyone with information about who was flying the drone to contact CASA, which would then examine what rules have been breached.
Fines for drone operators range from $900 to $9000 depending on the nature of the breach and whether the case is dealt with in the courts.
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