Authorities in California used a thermal imaging drone to search for an elderly man who went missing while picking up his mail on Christmas Eve.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Malibu Search and Rescue Team began searching for a 78-year-old man suffering from early-onset dementia. According to an Instagram post.
Marib Special Administrative Region deployed several drones to assist in the rescue. These include advanced drones that use infrared thermal imaging technology to locate targets.
The sheriff's office said infrared detectors found “significant heat signatures on the side of the road in dense brush.”
Authorities dispatched a team to the scene where there were signs of a fever and found the missing man in his 70s lying motionless in the bushes on the side of the road.
“Rescue teams arriving at the scene saw the missing man suffering from a cold-related illness, confused and unable to walk,” Marib SAR said.
Rescue workers provided warm blankets and cared for the man in the ambulance, the report said.
“It's a miracle we made it in time for the holidays!” officials said in a post.
First responders made sure to confirm how essential drones were to rescues.
“This UAS deployment demonstrated the incredible value these newly employed tools provide to our search and rescue operations,” the post said.
