For the first time since acquiring a DJI Matrice 300 drone, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) was able to use the equipment to successfully locate and rescue a missing man over the Thanksgiving holiday.
The incident unfolded just after 11:00 Thanksgiving night when family members of Eugene Burch, 79, called 911 to report he and his dog Marty were missing from their home on Southern Trace Drive. Family members had been searching for him for an extended period before they called law enforcement for help.
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“HCSO patrol deputies were the first to respond. They learned Mr. Burch was a dementia patient. In addition, both he and his dog were hearing impaired, which would complicate the search. Lt. Lisa Collett, the on-scene commander, had deputies search and canvass the area while being in communication with Georgia State Patrol (GSP) Air, which could not confirm its availability. HCSO 1st Lt. Dan Franklin had been monitoring the situation from home, but he knew he and the drone could be of more help at the scene.
“The temperature outside was around 40 degrees and was expected to reach a low of 32 degrees,” Franklin said. “I recognized the danger of the situation for Mr. Burch and Marty, so I got ready and responded.”
Franklin arrived just before midnight and put the drone in the air a few minutes later.
“Just 23 seconds into the recording I located the heat signature of what appeared to be a person and a dog in the woods between Southern Trace and the power lines to the west,” Franklin said. “I lowered my altitude and turned on my fixed landing lights on the bottom of the drone. Over the radio, I instructed officers to locate the drone in the sky and then make their way to it. I hovered over Mr. Burch and Marty until officers made their way to him using the drone as a guide.”
A Hall County Fire Rescue med unit arrived and checked Mr. Burch at the scene. He was uninjured and released to the care of his family.
“This effort is a great example of what technology means to law enforcement in this day and age,” Sheriff Gerald Couch said. “It’s impressive how flexible and quick our Drone Unit was in responding and locating Mr. Burch from the air. The seamless teamwork by 1st Lt. Franklin and our Uniform Patrol Division deputies on the ground enabled the positive outcome for Mr. Burch and his dog. I’m so grateful for the tools that we have, but it’s our people who use them that make the real difference.”
The HCSO Drone Unit is comprised of Franklin, Lt. Mike Cooper and Deputy David Cobb.”
You can see a video of the search from the air here: (5) Facebook
(Pictured: Screen grab from drone video)