Challenge
The team's previous thermal capability was a hand-held camera, which limited search to ground crews moving through difficult terrain at night. They needed an airborne thermal platform their existing volunteers could deploy from a vehicle within minutes.
Solution
Remote Robotic supplied a Matrice 30T with smart controller, configured search patterns for the team's typical operating areas, and ran a 2-day SAR-specific training course on thermal interpretation, night flight and lost-link procedures.
Outcome
On the program's third call-out, the team launched the M30T 8 minutes after arriving at the trailhead and located the missing hiker 23 minutes later, 600 m from the last known point in dense forest. The hiker was extracted with non-life-threatening injuries.
“Twenty minutes of thermal flight saved us a six-hour ground search and probably saved his life.”