Police drone with thermal camera locates vulnerable teenager in seconds

A vulnerable adolescent was spotted by a police drone with a thermal camera and was reunited with his family.

The young man had called the police just before midnight on Thursday to report that he was feeling ill. However, he could only provide the emergency phone operators with a general description of his location.

Officers reportedly started searching the land area to the north of Bingham and eventually requested assistance from a police drone. Within a few seconds of taking off with the drone, the police pilot found the young man using a camera that could detect heat, known as thermal imaging.

Officers on the ground could then give him the support he needed.

In January 2020, the Nottinghamshire Police Drones squad was established, and they are a resource that is shared with the Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service.

It has six drones of various sizes under its control and is ready to carry out emergency or pre-planned missions anywhere inside the county at any time of day or night.

“This is another example of how drone technology can be used to very quickly locate missing or vulnerable people,” said Sergeant Vince Saunders, chief drone pilot at Nottinghamshire Police. “A traditional foot search in the dark could have taken many hours, but with this additional eye in the sky, we are able to locate people within minutes and keep them safe.”

Police drone with thermal camera

A police drone with a thermal camera can make all the difference when it comes to locating missing people quickly. Thermal imaging makes it much easier to spot people quickly. You can read more stories about drones being used for good here on DroneXL. You will notice that many of these success stories include drones with thermal cameras.

Photos: courtesy of West Bridgeford Wire.