SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A 70-year-old man is safe tonight thanks to Scottsdale police and state-of-the-art drone technology.
Police said the man's family reported him missing on June 12 when he disappeared from a home in north Scottsdale.
His family said he had been missing for a few hours and reportedly had dementia.
Police said when officers responded, they searched around the home and nearby trail systems on foot but could not find the man.
Officer Greg Now, an officer with the department's Patrol Drone Program, self-reported to the scene on the way home from his shift to help out.
He’s one of 11 patrol officers who are FAA-certified drone operators.
“I can cover hundreds of square feet in such a short time compared to how you would do on foot,” said Now.
It made the search a little easier, but not without its challenges.
“It’s very dark, and there is some dense brush up there,” said Now.
The drone has an infrared camera to search the darkness by picking up heat. Some desert plants also radiate heat, making the search difficult.
After an hour, the drone found the man near a bush.
“Once he stretched the leg out. I realized it was his legs. We knew I was on track,” said Now.
Officer Now used the landing lights on the hovering drone so officers could find the man's location.
“He appeared quite dehydrated. He was missing a shoe. He had a lot of desert debris on his clothing,” said Now.
The officers got him to safety, where paramedics could treat him.
Officer Now says a drone is a valuable tool for search and rescue and in active crime situations.
He also wants to reassure the public.
“This is not just your big brother/eye in the sky spying on you. This is a tool we’re using in a very limited scope to basically make our society/city safer,” said Now.
If you have a missing elderly person or child – Scottsdale police want you to contact them immediately so they can begin the search as soon as possible, especially if there is still daylight.
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