Drones have now been directly involved in saving the lives of more than 1,000 people around the globe, says DJI. The world leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology says it has compiled hundreds of separate incidents worldwide where drones have played a crucial role in search and rescue missions.
The key thing to note here is that DJI’s tally does not include incidents when a drone was simply used as part of a larger search process. Only those happenings are counted when a drone directly located, assisted, or helped rescue a person in peril.
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One of the most recent examples involved two hikers in New York State who lost their way at nightfall and were unable to lead rescuers to their location as their mobile phone battery was running low. The Sheriff’s Office UAS Unit finally found them with the help of a drone equipped with a thermal camera.
And then, in a rather unusual case earlier this year, a man stuck in snow in Oregon‘s remote terrain without cell reception attached his phone to his DJI Mavic 3 drone and launched it into the air to deliver an SOS message identifying his exact location. Rescuers found him and two other people and brought them to safety.
You will find many more such stories in DJI’s Drone Rescue Map and DroneDJ‘s Search and Rescue guide. But as Christina Zhang, DJI senior director of corporate strategy, notes correctly:
Drones are an essential life-saving tool for search and rescue operators around the world, and it is encouraging to see how civilians with drones often volunteer to help in critical emergencies.
Adam Welsh, DJI global head of policy, adds, “We are grateful that civilian drones have saved so many people around the world. We appeal to the public and other stakeholders in society to spread the word about how drones can really help and that restricting rescue agencies’ access to this technology — because of lack of funding or for other reasons — puts lives at risk.”
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