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BC search and rescue teams deployed drones equipped with heat-detecting cameras to pinpoint a group of skiers and snowboarders that ducked boundry ropes at Sun Peaks Mountain and became lost in the backcountry.Â
The group ended up in a ravine and were attempting to hike out in waist deep snow when rescuers found them. They had spent more than nine hours in the elements as reported by bc.ctvnews.ca.
The use of drones reduced the time it would have taken rescuers to locate the group and likely played a role in the fact that everyone rescued walked away in good condition.
“It can fly at a fairly fast speed, so it’s great for covering a lot of ground quickly.” –Â Cassidy Simpson of Kamloops Search and Rescue
The cold weather paired with the movement of the lost group (which increased their heat signature) combined to make them easily identifiable by frared FLIR camera mounted to the remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
[images from bc.ctvnews.ca]