The continuing growth of the drone industry in 2022 brought with it an upsurge in the number of search-and-rescue missions aided by unmanned aerial aircraft.  These missions are some of the most poignant and emotionally gratifying activities associated with drone use.  Typically, the drones are under the command and control of local law enforcement and are called in when more conventional (Search and Rescue) SAR methods fail.  One key advantage of SAR drones is their ability to probe areas that may be inaccessible to foot patrols and helicopter search teams. Another, perhaps even more important, is the heat-sensing., thermal imaging technology that SAR drones typically employ.  Especially at night,  but also in environments with thick tree cover, SAR drones can identify missing persons and with GPS pinpoint their exact location, then direct ground teams to move in.

In recent years, an unusually large number of drone SAR operations have achieved success in a relatively short period of time – sometimes within just minutes after the drones are deployed.  When missing persons are exposed to the elements, the rapid reaction capacity of drones can make the difference between life and death – or at least, serious physical injury.   A look at some of the dramatic rescues that occurred in 2002 is instructive.

• In Israel in late March, 42 schoolchildren in grades 5 through 8 got lost during a school hike in Nahal Og near the Dead Sea. Police were notified and began a foot search but couldn’t find the missing hikers.  At dusk, police called in a drone with a thermal imaging camera that located most but not all of the missing hikers. A police helicopter eventually found the rest.  It was a close call: the children were reported missing in the early evening as temperatures were falling.  Luckily, the rescuers managed to locate them within a few hours.
• In late August in Metepec in Mexico, a 2-year old girl was kidnapped leading to a frantic citywide search. Social media postings and urgent calls from feminist organizations led local police to deploy their drone to find the kidnapped girl.  The police were able to track the kidnappers’ vehicle which they traced to a small cornfield.  Thanks to their drone pursuit, police were able to rescue the girl, unharmed, and return her to her mother.
• In late September in Kolno, Poland, an 80-year-old man went missing after a walk with his wife. Local law enforcement began a search operation, which was also joined by the inhabitants of Kolno.  Dozens of policemen, supported by firefighters, volunteers from rescue groups, as well as specially-trained dogs for the man but failed to find him.  A civilian volunteer using his DJI recreational drone found the man unconscious in a field of reeds outside town.  He was rescued unharmed.
• In late March, police in Concord, CA used their new drone to find a missing 6-year-old boy suffering from severe autism. His frantic parents had searched everywhere and called the police for help.  It turned out that he was in a nearby apartment courtyard and could not be seen from the street.  It was the Concord PD’s very first drone deployment.

These are just a few of the most notable SAR drone successes in 2022.   DJI, the world’s leading drone manufacturer, has published a comprehensive list (with a map) of every recorded SAR drone success since 2018.  To date, more than 940 people have been rescued by SAR drones in over 550 separate rescue incidents in 39 countries.