LAS CRUCES — The Mesilla Valley Search and Rescue team used new equipment to help rescue a lost kayaker in the Gila this weekend.
The search team used a DJI Mavic 2 C, or unmanned aircraft system, to locate a missing kayaker, and to communicate with him until help arrived.
The call for assistance came in just after midnight Sunday.
"It's one of the most difficult searches we've been on," said chapter President Vic Villalobos on Tuesday.
The 25-hour mission to find a person lost while kayaking the Gila River began with team members hiking five or six miles through rocky, thorny and steep terrain, before reaching its first search area. There, the Gila includes deep valleys and steep canyons, said Aaron Marquez, one of two UAS pilots on the search team.
"We were able to fly at higher elevation and use the camera equipment to zoom into the canyon without having to fly into the canyon," Marquez said. Read More
