Rescues by drone aren’t new. But they’re important. And, as first responders continue to adopt drones as a key part of their tool kit, these stories are becoming more frequent. This one, in Wales, features some video of the operation.
When it comes to search and rescue, there’s arguable no tool more useful than a drone. With an aerial perspective, a lot of ground can be covered in a much shorter period of time – particularly important in rugged, near-inaccessible areas. Plus, of course, there’s the magic of thermal sensors, which can spot a warm person against a cooler background in a snap.
And now, video has emerged from a daytime drone rescue in Wales.
North Wales
We’ve never been to Wales, but it’s apparently stunningly beautiful – with plenty of rugged, majestic spots that tend to draw hikers and adventurers. And, inevitably, some of these folks get in trouble on occasion. That was the case Sunday: A pair of hikers got stuck on a rocky ledge.
They weren’t injured, but they were in trouble.
Location, location, location
Typically, drones dispatched to these search and rescue missions are the first to spot missing people. In this case, however, the pair was first spotted by the North Wales Mountain Rescue Association. But the HGC Uned Drôn/NWP Drone Unit was also on the scene.
And in this case, the drone was used for another purpose: To provide a detailed, real-time view of the situation while communicating with the rescuers. Here’s how the NWP Drone Unit described the rescue in a Facebook post:
Another great job by the team yesterday afternoon (Sunday) where we assisted Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation who had been called out shortly before 3pm to two lost walkers who were stuck above a cliff on the north ridge of Tryfan.The rescue team located the pair and we assisted by providing a detailed video feed of their exact location, which assisted in directing a team down to the casualties, providing visual oversight as they approached them on the ledge where they were stuck.Both were raised up on ropes and rescued safely
Thank goodness for a positive outcome
Drone rescue video
The NWP Drone Unit took to social media to show what happened. Amazing:
Lives saved
We always tip our hats to first responders in these situations. But we also have to share that credit with drones. The number of people rescued from life-endangering situations is growing.
DJI counts the number of people saved by drones at 701, involving some 393 rescue incidents in 34 countries. The company has a fantastic interactive map that tracks these, and we recommend checking it out.
Very impressive.
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