A drone found a missing 75-year-old man who may not have survived without it.
Peter Pugh had been on a walk with his family when he was somehow separated and ended up trapped in dense reeds of marshes in Norfolk, England, according to The Independent. The family had been at a nearby beach.
Pugh was stranded for nearly 24 hours.
“There is no doubt that without the police drone we would not have been able to locate him in the time we did,” said Sgt. Alex Bucher, who helped in the search effort, The Independent reported. “The police drone allows us to search areas that are difficult to access and within close range where a helicopter may not be able to get.”
Bucher also credited some 50 people in the search operation with saving the man’s life.
Coast Guard members and firefighters were guided by Sgt. Danny Leach, who handled the drone, to the muddy area where the man was trapped. Pugh was given first aid before an air ambulance flew him to a hospital where he was treated for hypothermia.
“A welcome conclusion to a long and difficult search,” Inspector Lou Provart, the tactical firearms commander for Norfolk police, posted on Twitter. “Technology in our new drones once again proving its worth.”
The Norfolk Police department started using drones last year to investigate crimes and help in the search for missing people.
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