Dog found safe by drone team after missing for six days in Swiss Alps

Last week, a dog that had been missing for 6 days was found by a drone team on a steep cliff in the Swiss Alps, near Levron / Val de Bagnes. The drone that was outfitted with a thermal camera played a crucial role in locating the missing pet on an inaccessible cliff several hundred feet high. The owner and dog were ecstatic upon being reunited. Drones for good!

The drone team from Air-Glaciers had been asked to assist in locating the missing dog, named ‘Scoundrel’. The animal had already been missing for over six days in the Swiss Alps near Levron / Val de Bagnes.

Scoundrel was found by drone team

With the help of a drone outfitted with a thermal camera, Scoundrel was found on an inaccessible and very steep cliff face hundreds of feet high of the ground. Based on the photo, it seems that the drone that was used is a DJI Matrice 200/210 with a Zenmuse XT2 thermal camera.

In order to rescue the dog, a helicopter and two rescue guides had to be hired. The guides had to climb several rope lengths to get to the location where the animal was stuck.

The dog was apparently very relieved to see his rescuers appear, as he was said to be very docile and visibly happy to see them after having spent five nights under the stars all by himself.

Dog Found Safe By Drone Team After Missing For Six Days In Swiss Alps

As you can see in the thermal image below, it can be incredibly hard to spot an animal as small as Scoundrel on the face of a mountain. The little white bright dit is the only indication that there may be a living creature on those rocks. It requires a trained eye to spot him. It is also important to consider the time of day when you fly your drone as you want the temperature difference between the dog and the background, i.e. the rocks, to be as large as possible. Early morning would most likely have been the best time of day as the rocks would not yet have been warmed by the sun.

Dog Found Safe By Drone Team After Missing For Six Days In Swiss Alps

What do you think about using drones with thermal cameras rescue animals or people? Let us know in the comments below.

Photo: Air-Glaciers


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Haye Kesteloo
Haye Kesteloo

Haye Kesteloo is a leading drone industry expert and Editor in Chief of DroneXL.co and EVXL.co, where he covers drone technology, industry developments, and electric mobility trends. With over nine years of specialized coverage in unmanned aerial systems, his insights have been featured in The New York Times, The Financial Times, and cited by The Brookings Institute, Foreign Policy, Politico and others.

Before founding DroneXL.co, Kesteloo built his expertise at DroneDJ. He currently co-hosts the PiXL Drone Show on YouTube and podcast platforms, sharing industry insights with a global audience. His reporting has influenced policy discussions and been referenced in federal documents, establishing him as an authoritative voice in drone technology and regulation. He can be reached at haye @ dronexl.co or @hayekesteloo.

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One comment

  1. You did a good job. Infrared is the best solution for this to try. And yes, the time is very important! “Just” buying and flying with IR is too often normal practice and therefore … having disappointing results. I have been working with infrared for about 12 years. So, well done!

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