4 rescued from Yellowstone River near Billings

Emergency response teams in Billings joined forces in a highly effective multi-agency water rescue operation, resulting in the safe recovery of four individuals on Sunday night. This collaborative effort demonstrated the exceptional coordination and utilization of advanced technology to respond to water emergencies.

On July 9, 2023, emergency services responded to a distress call reporting a water emergency involving multiple individuals in the Yellowstone River near South West Billings at 8:59 p.m. The Billings Fire Department, the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office, AMR, and additional fire units swiftly arrived at the scene, ready to provide assistance.

The incident commander immediately initiated a well-coordinated response, with each agency utilizing their specialized resources and expertise. The Billings Fire Department's drone team played a critical role in the operation by deploying an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with an infrared (IR) camera. The IR technology proved invaluable in locating the stranded victims, even in challenging conditions of darkness.

In the first phase of the operation, the swift water rescue team from the Billings Fire Department successfully executed the rescue of an individual stranded on a tree in the middle of the river around 9:30 p.m. Simultaneously, responders focused their efforts on the rescue of three additional individuals who were stranded on an island in the river. These rescues spanned from 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. The Sheriff's Office Rescue Boat, operated by the Sheriff's Office and supported by swift water technicians from the Billings Fire Department, navigated the challenging waters and facilitated the safe recovery of the individuals.

This incident highlights the inherent risks associated with water activities, particularly in rivers, and serves as a reminder for all individuals engaging in such activities to prioritize their safety. The Billings Fire Department urges everyone to wear a properly fitting and U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket, as it significantly increases the chances of survival during water emergencies. Additionally, individuals should inform a trusted person about their plans, including the intended location, expected return time, and any changes to the itinerary, to facilitate a swift response in case of an emergency.

The individual stranded in a tree had an inexpensive raft that flipped and she then became tangled in a tree.

The second set of victims were looking for their friend and got stranded on the island.

The successful outcome of this water rescue operation was a testament to the joint efforts and seamless collaboration between the Billings Fire Department, the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office, AMR, and other supporting agencies. Their commitment to public safety, coupled with the utilization of advanced technology, contributed to the successful recovery of all four individuals involved.

Victoria Hill, the public information officer for the City of Billings:

 

Drones for Water Search and Rescue

 

The use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or “drones” for a wide variety of operations and businesses has been dramatically increasing both nationally and internationally.  The drone regulatory environment in the United States continues to evolve. New drone capabilities and more effective ways to use these capabilities are constantly being developed and implemented. Drones have quickly become the most widely used tool for many industries. From Police and Fire Departments to agriculture and energy operations, drones have become essential to boosting safety and productivity.

How does this important capability improve the SAR planner’s ability to search for persons in distress? Which drone is appropriate and most effective for a search based on the circumstances of the case? How does the SAR Mission Coordinator (SMC)/Incident Commander (IC) gain approval to use drones for a particular SAR operation? These are challenging questions that must be answered before contemplating the use of UAS in a particular SAR mission.

SAR Coordinators (SCs), SMCs/ICs, State, Tribal, Territorial/Insular Area, local SAR authorities, and volunteers interested in using UAS for SAR will also find important information and guidance in this Addendum in the development, management, and operation of their UAS programs.

What About Drones for Water Search and Rescue

Over the past few years, there has been an increasing interest in using Drones in support of water search and rescue.  Regardless of the type of water from flood, river, swiftwater, coastal, ocean, surf or ice, a drone can be another valuable tool in your toolbox to effectively, efficiently and most important of all safely assist with the conduct water search and rescue operations.

However, there is little evidence that they are used in a structured and strategic manner to best effect. An effective response is essential if lives are to be saved and suffering alleviated.

"In order to realize the true value of a drone’s capabilities in water search and rescue, Drone Pilots and SAR authorities from the Incident Commander (IC) on down need to gain experience by employing drones on actual SAR operations and in training.  Only then will you realize that drones provide another tool in the toolbox for the Incident Commanders that can and will prove invaluable."

A search and rescue drone used by emergency services, such as police officers, firefighters or volunteer rescue teams, is ideal for searching over vast areas for missing persons in need of rescue and in any environment.  Search times can be significantly reduced while limiting potential risk to the party being rescued as well as rescuers. There are many options and benefits to using drones for water search and rescue.

With a lifetime in all water environments to include coastal, ocean, surf, swiftwater, flood and ice rescue, safety, and over ten years in drone operations for public safety. SAS Water Safety and EMMU Aerial’s instructors can help your agency evaluate how drones can be used in the preparation for, and response to all water search and rescue emergencies.  We can also provide assistance with all your training requirements and develops standard operating procedures (SOP) for their deployment before, during and after an event.

The Drones for Water Search and Rescue Course was developed and designed to be taught in a three day format with 1 day classroom and 2 days situational field / flight training, where students already have a FAA Part 107 with basic flight knowledge and experience in land search and rescue. Students will gain knowledge and practical experience in hydrology and moving water dynamics, pre-planning, size-up, site control, scene management, drone platforms and payloads, aerial search techniques, rescue mission support, thermal imaging, night operations and lost person behavior. The course will enable the students to identify clearly their own limitations as well as those of the equipment, so that they will be able to utilize drones more safely and effectively.

Contact SAS Water Safety or EMMU Aerial today for more information on integrating drones into water search and rescue.

Butte County SAR uses new drone to help rescue man in flood waters

 

BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - The Butte County Search and Rescue (SAR) team rescued a driver stuck in flood waters on Wednesday.

SAR responded to River Road east of Chico while it was closed.

The driver was stranded in an area surrounded by water that was not easily accessible by vehicle. 

The SAR team had to park about a mile away and used a drone to locate the man before sending people on a raft to bring the man to safety.

SAR said the drone it used came from a grant it received after approval from the North Valley Community Foundation nearly three weeks ago.

The drone has thermal capabilities, allowing SAR to use it at night, if necessary.

Shared from; Action News Now

Drone Used to Find Kayaker Missing on Cuyahoga River in Summit County

 

AKRON, Ohio — A 70-year-old man who was reported missing after he went kayaking on the Cuyahoga River in Summit County was found dead Monday morning by rescue searchers.

The family of Doug Maher became concerned Sunday night after he failed to show up a preplanned location in Brecksville after he began kayaking from the Oxbow Area of Cascade Valley Metro Park.

In video of a news conference Monday provided by WEWS Channel 5, Lt. Tim Morrison with the Akron Fire Department said that Akron and Parma police and rangers with the Summit County Metroparks began searching Sunday night for Maher but efforts were hampered because of high water levels on the river.

The search resumed Monday morning with rescuers from the National Park Service and Summit County Metroparks, and from the Akron, Bath, Copley, Cuyahoga Falls, Macedonia and Richfield fire departments. Morrison said authorities used six drones to search the area and located Maher’s body.

Information on exactly where Maher was found was not available. Morrison said the water level was 4 feet lower on Monday than on Sunday night, which aided in the search. He also said it took about five hours using drones to locate Maher, estimating it would have taken three to five days without drones.

According to Morrison, Maher’s family says the victim was a “very outdoorsmen type of person” but it’s unknown if he was an experienced kayaker.

By Advance Local Media LLC. cleveland.com 

QFES crews use drone technology for flood rescues during 2022 disaster

 

For the first time, it's been revealed how drones helped save lives during the floods, leading rescuers to stranded Queenslanders.

Canoers rescued from Bridgewater’s Town River with the help of a drone

The Enterprise June 22, 2020

BRIDGEWATER — Two men whose canoe was damaged on the Town River were rescued with the help of drone thermal imaging.

“Deploying the drone from the deck of the fire boat and using thermal imaging gave responders the visibility they needed to locate the individuals,” Bridgewater Police Chief Christopher Delmonte said in a statement.

The father of one of the men called West Bridgewater police around 8:30 p.m. Saturday and reported that the canoe his son and friend were in was damaged and taking on water.

Bridgewater police and fire units went to the Lake Nippenicket boat ramp to launch their rescue boat. An officer and firefighters went to the northern part of the lake to enter the Town River.

First responders were able to talk to the canoers, but were not immediately able to identify their exact location, according to police. Officer Chris Rondeau launched a drone from the boat to search the area with thermal imaging.

From footage of the rescue, the 22-year-old men were seen waving at the drone when it found their location, which was about 200 feet away from the boat.

The men were rescued from the chest deep part of the river and brought back to shore, where they were evaluated and reunited with families.

Delmonte said the weather conditions were favorable for the rescue and the canoers were not injured.

“This rescue effort is a great example of the Bridgewater police and fire departments working together,” Fire Chief Thomas Levy said in a statement. “I commend the quick action of the individuals involved with this water rescue.”

Drone and Ropes Help Rescue Drivers Trapped in River

Well done firefighters, It’s good to see positive use of drone.



May 18, 2020
Firefighters use a drone and ropes to rescue drivers trapped in river due to sudden water rise in Zhangjiajie, China.

Texas Gulf Coast Public Safety UAS Response Team Hold Training Event.

Texas Gulf Coast Regional Public Safety Unmanned Response Team held a multi-scenario training event utilizing drones for coastal Search and Rescue operations. 

SUAS News 30 August 2019

On August 27th the Texas Gulf Coast Regional Public Safety Unmanned Response Team (Texas Drone Force) held a multi-scenario training event utilizing drones for coastal Search and Rescue operations.  Over 20 agencies from across the region participated in the event and had a guest appearance by Texas State Senator Larry Taylor.  The training started with a classroom session at the Galveston Beach Patrol Headquarters where the United States Coast Guard UAS team discussed lessons learned and their workflow for Search and Rescue operations.  Following the classroom session, the participants then started the land-based Search and Rescue scenarios.  

The participants were tasked to search a coastal roadway for six missing children.  The pilot would then use their drone to search the area for six lids that were hidden in the area and report the letter designation that was attached to the lid for verification.  The participants then were tasked to conduct a search and rescue scenario over open water.  The United States Coast Guard deployed their rescue dummy known as “Oscar” at an unknown location in a search area.  The pilots were then tasked to locate Oscar and coordinate rescue efforts with ground and marine assets.  

After lunch, which was provided by Darley, the participants then met at the Galveston Sector Coast Guard Field Office to train how to deploy from a moored waterborne vessel.  The participants practiced hand takeoffs and retrievals for the scenario to safely deploy the drone due to the moving platform of the vessel.  While participants were practicing waterborne deployments, the other teams competed in a fast track course where they tested their skills against the clock.  This course was developed by Galveston’s Community Emergency Response Team member and former NASA ISS Subsystem manager Bill Spenny.  Pearland Police Department pilots Officer Oubre and Officer Arnold won the competition with the fastest times.  

These scenarios were conducted to better prepare the region for search and rescue events for the upcoming Hurricane season.  During Hurricane Harvey in 2017 the Gulf Coast Region saw extreme flooding throughout the greater Houston area.  These agencies are now better prepared to respond to local or regional flooded or coastal areas for Search and Rescue operations.

The Texas Gulf Coast Public Safety UAS Response Team is comprised of over 60 government agencies and over 90 pilots.  The team has responded to multiple large scale search and rescue events such as the Llano River Flood Incident, Kemah Chief of Police Search and Rescue, and have assisted in several other incidents.  The team also holds monthly meetings and provides several UAS related training to better prepare agencies to provide safer communities through technology.  

A special thank you goes out to Officer Larry Boggus with Memorial Villages PD and Chief John Venzke with Bayou Vista Fire Department for planning and coordinating the event.  Gary Messmer and The United States Coast Guard for coordinating and setting up the waterborne deployment scenarios.  Bill Spenny, Officer Herbert Oubre, and Officer Chris Nash for coordinating and instructing the land based scenarios.  

Body Found by Drone After Person Jumped into Youghiogheny River

TRIBLIVE August 5, 2019

A body was discovered in the Youghiogheny River on Monday afternoon after rescuers responded to a report of a person jumping into the river following a crash on Interstate 70, according to a Westmoreland County dispatcher.

The crash was reported at 2:40 p.m. on the westbound side of the highway, at a bridge that carries the interstate over the river between Rostraver and South Huntingdon townships, near the Smithton exit.

The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office was called to the scene just before 3 p.m. Rescue teams pulled the body from the water shortly before 4:30 p.m., according to the Sutersville Volunteer Fire Department.

River rescue teams and firefighting units from Yukon, Rostraver, Collinsburg, Sutersville and Turkeytown responded.

Rostraver West Newton Emergency Services used a new camera drone to help find the body and monitor the swiftwater rescue teams. The drone also aided in the police investigation by measuring the height of the bridge and providing photos and videos of the scene.

County in Sierra Finds Swiftwater Search and Rescue Uses for Drones

KOLOTV.com July 2, 2019

ALPINE COUNTY, CA (KOLO) Alpine County sits in a rugged corner of the Eastern Sierra just south of Lake Tahoe, barely 11 hundred residents and nearly 750 square miles of mountain and forest.

But it gets a lot of visitors, campers, hikers, kayakers, people just passing through. From time to time some get into trouble.

First responders are the small staff of the Alpine County Sheriff's Office and their search and rescue volunteers. Not a lot of manpower, but they have a powerful tool, the sheriff office's drone.

Their drone is equipped with camera and heat imaging, able to search from the air when those below can't.

"We use it during the hasty search period when we don't have other manned aircraft in the air space," says Deputy Sheriff Jake Krzaczek, "and we can also use it to search at night, which previously we were reluctant to do because it puts our volunteers in harm's way."

With the heat imaging camera, the drone operator can identify by sight and by body temperature whether he's found a lost hiker or a bear, deer or steer.

And once found and identified, the drone can carry a life saving payload.

"We can drop medical supplies. We can drop them food, water, a radio, extra clothing, anything they might need to keep them alive until we can get bodies on scene to get them out of from where they're at."

The sheriff's department and its volunteers keep finding new ways to use the drone. The latest stemmed from an incident involving a person trapped on the far side of a raging river. Standard procedure would be to throw them a rescue bag attached to a line.

"We finally had to put a rock in the bag itself to give it some weight to throw it and finally got it to him," recalls Krzaczek. "And I think everyone's shoulder hurt a little bit, so we thought, how can we make this easier? We had the payload capability in the drone and we did a dry run in the parking lot one day and thought this could work."

And so, a new use for the drone was developed. Now Krzaczek and his volunteers work it into their training routine. The exercise we witnessed was on a relatively placid spot on he west fork of the Carson River. Elsewhere the county's streams were what he described as "hairy."

"There's areas on the west fork and the east fork that are ripping right now where I wouldn't want to put my guys in the water if I didn't have to."

So imagine a kayaker or fisherman fallen into the icy water in the midst of rapids, either floating or clinging to a rock.

The drone drops the rescue line to him without endangering the volunteer.

So you can add swift water rescue to that growing list of uses for drones and that's not likely to be the end of it."

"It's incredible," says Krzaczek. "There's going to be so many uses for them in the next few years."

Drone Saved Time, in Rescue of Kayakers

The Gazette June 13, 2019

A rescue of 11 kayakers — like the one Tuesday afternoon on the Upper Iowa River — usually would take Decorah volunteer firefighters one or two hours.

But thanks to drone technology, it took only three or four minutes to locate the stranded kayakers, said Zach Kerndt, whose duties with the fire department include being a licensed drone operator.

Before drones, “we’d have to go up river and basically get on the river and actually flow down the river to find them,” Kerndt said Thursday. “With the drone, we’re able to put it up in the air without putting anyone in harm’s way. ... It helps a lot.”

He said the rapid response could be lifesaving.

“It helps tremendously,” Kerndt said, specifically mentioning how a drone provides rescuers with a better “overall view of the area.”

Crews came to the aid Tuesday of a family of kayakers who became marooned on an island near Chimney Rock Park after a kayak capsized and left one family member clinging to a tree, authorities said.

Decorah bought a drone in 2016 to help with structure fires, grass fires, search-and-rescue operations and other law enforcement tasks. Since then, Kerndt said, the department has used it on four or five river rescues.

River rescues have been increasingly common for the Decorah department.

Firefighters typically handle four or five river rescues each year but have performed four already this year.

It’s a sign, Kerndt said, people need to be more careful on the water.

“We want everyone to enjoy the river,” he said. “But people need to make sure they take it seriously if there’s a tree across the river or hazards that are in the river.”

Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx attributed the increased number of river rescues to a “complete lack of knowledge, skill and awareness that this is a natural river” and to “drinking to complete inebriation.”

“We’ve had people ask if they’re going in a circle like the lazy river at a water park,” Marx said.

Marx said the family members rescued Tuesday — ranging in age from 6 to 71 — were not intoxicated, indicating lack of experience was the likely culprit.

The kayakers “got caught up in a tree,” Kerndt said.

The group — some from Cedar Rapids, some from India — was there for a family reunion, Marx said.

The family called 911 when they became stranded. Once the firefighters arrived, they provided the family with a portable radio for better reception. No one required medical attention.

Officers from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Department of Transportation assisted.

Nevada County Consolidated Fire’s UAV a versatile tool for firefighters

yubanet.com May 31, 2019

NEVADA CITY, Calif. – Nevada County Consolidated Fire District added an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to their toolbox and after close to a year, the UAV has proved a valuable addition.

Eight district personnel are certified to operate the UAV and recently we got a demonstration of some of its capabilities at Station 84.

Deputy Fire Marshal Mason explained the versatility of the UAV and how the agency uses the UAV/UAS (don’t call it a drone) in many situations.

During a structure fire, the drone can provide a 360-view of the structure, any adjacent buildings that may be impacted and, most importantly, the fire behavior. “We can send the UAV up and let it hover over the incident. It allows us to position our resources more efficiently and have visual contact with all our firefighters,” Mason said.

Multiple uses

The UAV is not just being used for structure fires, it can be deployed for any wildland fire and provide valuable reconnaissance.

River rescues, a big part of summer operations, are time-sensitive and were the major impetus to acquire the UAV. The UAV can cover a large swath of the Yuba, look for the missing person and pinpoint their location. While conventional communication in the river canyon can be spotty, the UAV uses satellite-based navigation and stays within visual range of the trained operators at all times. The district is scouting locations where the operators can see a large portion of the river and quickly direct the swift water rescue team to the patient.

The UAV can hover for 20 minutes on one battery, or fly 16-17 minutes during a river rescue – that’s about 3 miles of river canyon covered – and can fly at speeds up to 40 mph.

Hazardous materials and suspicious objects can also be safely inspected from a distance as the video above shows.

One use of the UAV that wasn’t initially obvious is defensible space inspections (DSI). Mason recounted a request from an out-of-county property owner for a defensible space inspection of a vacant parcel. “When we get a call asking for a DSI from a property owner, we can – with their permission –  fly over the property, send them the pictures and then set up a vegetation management plan.”

Upgrades and mutual aid

With the successful deployment of the UAV, the district now is looking to expanding the program. A second UAV and additional equipment for the existing one are on their wish list. The ability to carry a payload, like a floating device during a river rescue, requires an upgrade. The district is researching those options and the cost associated with it. Delivering a flotation device would be done by attaching the device to a lanyard module and carrying it to a stranded person. A camera with night-vision capabilities is another upgrade they are considering for search and rescue missions.

Meanwhile more firefighters will go through the operations training and increase the availability of the tool. “We can deploy the UAV at the request of another agency, it makes sense to share the resource and it’s part of the mutual aid we provide each other,” Mason said.

Drone Saves Kayakers During Spring Lake Water Rescues

SPRING LAKE, N.C. (WTVD) April 24, 2019 -- Authorities in the Sandhills are dealing with a rise in river rescues.

The Spring Lake Fire Department rescued several stranded kayakers from the Little River over the past few days, deploying their new drone for extra support.

It sounds peaceful and size-wise, the Little River lives up to its name, but lately, it's been the source of a big safety issue in Spring Lake.

"It's changed and I think the Hurricane really affected it with the water being so high and all of the rain that we recently got," said Alex Tracey.

Tracey runs Spring Lake Outpost, a local river adventure company along the banks. Despite mandatory safety briefings, lessons and daily water checks, kayakers capsize and have to be rescued.

"I think what happens is people might not be experienced in the water and I think they just get nervous and scared," said Tracey.

Over the weekend, the Spring Lake Fire Department rescued seven people in two separate incidents. Firefighters deployed their boat, working all Monday morning to pull a family of five from the river.

But another water rescue took minutes, thanks to the fire department's new drone.

"These drones can fly a lot faster than walking though woods and going down to the river in a boat so just making eye contact and putting a visual image on somebody is key to this," said Drone Pilot Brandon Fitzhugh.

On Sunday, Fitzhugh spotted the stranded kayak and guided lifeboats to a missing woman.

"We had a lady stranded on a branch. The boat and I actually met at the same time," said Fitzhugh.

The fire department has only had the drone for a few months, but they're already looking at additional technology.

"We're going to be able to drop PFD's, radios and anything they need, flashlights and with this one, we're going to start a thermal camera to do nighttime operations," said Fitzhugh.

The extra gear will cost an extra $2,500 hundred but the lives they save are priceless.

"I can always put eyes on a target and find exactly where it is so somebody can get to them and try to make the save because what's at stake? Life..Life is always at stake," said Fitzhugh.

Search and rescue team uses new UAS to find, remotely communicate with lost Gila kayaker

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

Water Rescues Thanks To Drone Mapping

“When people fall into water, we need to get them out.” Essex police use the latest technology in their work - including drone mapping.

Pix4D February 17, 2019

Every 90 seconds, a person is reported missing in the UK.

At least once a day, Essex police see a missing person case which requires further investigation. While around 80% of missing persons are found within a day, as many as 5% of cases remain unsolved.

The missing are diverse: they are elderly and children; happily and unhappily married; alone in the world and with a wide support network.

The missing are diverse, but the found often have something in common: water.

Perran Bonner, Drone Manager and Operations Lead in Essex police explains: “Many people are drawn to water. That’s irrespective of their mental health, their age, anything like that - it’s just a natural pull. Quite often people fall in and then get into difficulties - or perhaps they have deliberately fallen in. Either way, we need to go and get them out.”

Essex has one of the longest coastlines in the country. Its green fields are crossed with canals and rivers, and dotted with lakes and ponds.

“In Essex in particular there’s an awful lot of mud here,” continues Bonner. “People are regularly stuck in the mud.”  Read More

Drone Used to Help Rescue 4 Stranded in Brazos

WHITNEY, Texas (KWTX) Four people stranded in the middle of the Brazos River below the Lake Whitney dam were rescued Thursday.

A drone, flown by Hill County Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Hemrick, delivered a lifejacket to a mother and her 15-year-old daughter to keep them afloat before a rescue boat arrived.

Authorities say they didn’t know how to swim and got stranded as the water levels were rising.

“The stranded individuals had no swimming skills nor devices to keep them afloat with the water rising,” said Chief Deputy Rick White.

“That lifejacket served as a real lifesaving device until water vehicles could arrive to extract them from the river.”

As rescuers were getting the mother and daughter into the air boat provided by the West Shore Department, two men in kayaks were found stranded several hundred yards farther down the river.

“There’s warning signs, please take heed of the warning, especially in that lower part of the dam,” said White.

“Do not try to cross the river form one county side to the other, don’t get out in the middle and float in inner tubes or stand out there, because when those alarms sound generally there is not enough time to return to shore.”

The events forced the Army Corps of Engineers to shut down the dam’s water release.

Hillsboro Fire, DPS, West Shore VFD, Whitney Police Fire and Rescue, the Lake Whitney Corps of Engineers, Lake Whitney Park Rangers, HCSO and Hill County Emergency Management responded.

“We’re lucky we got everybody out,” said White.

New Search and Rescue Drone - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Texas game wardens are adding a new set of eyes in the sky with a new Search and Rescue Drone or Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). Watch this simulated rescue of some lost children.

Drone Helps Find Man Suffering From Heart Attack on River

Iowa first responders turned to a new colleague when searching for missing boaters.

CNN July 15, 2016

A 20-person team was searching for a grandfather and granddaughter who were stranded in a logjam on the East Fork of the Des Moines River. David Penton, emergency management coordinator for Kossuth County, could faintly hear the cries of the missing persons, but the setting sun was making it more difficult to see them amid the thickly wooded riverbank.

So Penton called a colleague and had him rush to the scene with a drone.

Within three minutes of takeoff, they'd found the duo by watching the live stream from the DJI Phantom's camera. The drone then hovered overhead so that the first responders could use its location to guide them to the grandfather and granddaughter.

Penton said he expected the victims would have been found without the drone, but using it allowed them to find them faster. Once discovered, the man fell to his knees as he was suffering from a heart attack.

"Without the help of that drone, time could've been an issue for him," Penton said.

The man, Thomas Fitzpatrick, was rushed to a hospital. Penton said late Thursday that Fitzpatrick was expected to be upgraded from critical to stable condition.

Drones are proving valuable to people such as Penton, who can benefit from inexpensive aerial photos and videos. Drones are expected to become increasingly common in August as the federal government's rules for commercial drone use will go into effect. The drone industry estimates that by 2025, drones will lead to 100,000 new jobs and an economic impact of $82 billion.

Since acquiring the drone in May, Penton had only used it in test flights. He said the drone performed so well that he plans to get a second one. The drone Penton relied on -- a DJI Phantom -- weighs three pounds and costs about $1,000.

"It gave that patient or that victim reassurance that they have been found," Penton said of the missing persons first seeing a drone hovering overhead. "We're here. We've rolled out every asset that we have to find them."

Drone Helps Firefighters Save Stranded Rafters; Drone Carried Life Jacket To Wet, Cold Kids

ibtimes.com July 2, 2015

Firefighters had to use a drone to save a teenager and a younger boy when they became stuck on a rock in the middle of a raging current. Rescue crews tried to reach the pair in a raft -- but when the waves became overwhelming they paddled back to shore and used a small unmanned aircraft to toe a line over to the boys.

The kids, age 18 and 12, were boating down the Little Androscoggin River in Mechanic Falls, Maine on Tuesday when they became stranded on a slippery rock surface. Only one was wearing a life jacket, and they couldn't safely navigate the unpredictable rapids to shore. So Fire Chief Frank Roma, of Auburn Maine, a county in the state's southern region, attached a rope line to his own DJI Phantom 3 and piloted the drone out over the middle of the river. He then sent a life jacket over the line and used the Phantom to watch from above.

“I was able to take the drone out to him; lower it down to his level,” Roma told WMTW, a local TV station. “He was able to disconnect it and get the life vest on and then I was able to put the drone back up as an aerial observation.”

Multiple videos and images on the Auburn Fire Department's Facebook page detail the rescue, in which neither boy was injured.

Cheif Roma said he purchased the UAV with his own money but sees obvious new advantages for rescue teams if they invest in drone equipment. This rescue comes only weeks after lifeguard crews elsewhere in the U.S. began deploying small unmanned aircraft to patrol for sharks and other beach threats.

“I think we've only begun to scratch the surface for what their full capabilities can be in the emergencies field,” Roma told WMTW-TV. “I was able to see exactly what the drone was seeing. I was able to direct it to where it needed to be.” 

A Drone Helped Rescue Four People Stranded in a Flood

A volunteer drone operator helped a local fire department save the lives of four people in a single day.

Vice.com May 19, 2015

A drone pilot helped rescue four people who were stranded by floodwaters in a Fort Worth suburb Sunday morning.

The drone was used in two separate incidents for two separate reasons, underscoring the versatility of the emerging technology in search-and-rescue scenarios. In an early morning rescue, Garret Bryl, a volunteer drone pilot who works with the Joshua Fire Department in Texas, used his drone to spot a pickup truck that had been swept off the road and into a forest during a flash flood.

Later that day, he used the drone to fly a rope to two people who were stranded in their mobile home. The rope was then used to pass life preservers to the couple, who were later rescued by a helicopter.

"It was pretty exciting, it was the whole team that did it," Bryl told me. "This time, the drone was the hero of the scene but it couldn't have happened without everyone working together."

Bryl told me that he has modified a DJI Inspire One drone to carry a searchlight. Early Sunday morning, he used the drone-mounted spotlight to find two missing people that ground crews couldn't locate. The truck they were driving was swept off the road by rushing water and ended up underneath some downed trees.

"Right now, I'm basically flying as an enthusiast with an emergency scanner"

"The water was pushing it under, it was bad and pretty scary. The fire department had been looking for the truck for about a half hour or so and couldn't find it," Bryl said. "The fire chief asked if I could put up the drone, and I found them in 25 seconds. It was fast. From the aerial perspective, the reflector on the tail light was illuminated by the spotlight."

The fire department sent in a small rescue hovercraft and saved the people trapped inside. Mere hours later, Bryl was at it again.

The second rescue was slightly more dramatic, in that it played out on live television. The water level surrounding Tracey and Bill Kastel's mobile home had risen to their door (their home is on stilts), trapping them inside. The water was rushing too fast to make a boat rescue.

The fire department sent in this rescue vehicle after Bryl spotted the truck. image Garret Bryl

Bryl used the drone to fly what's known as a "leader line" rope over to the Kastel's home. Bill Kastel grabbed the rope and tied it to the base of his home, allowing rescue workers to shuttle over life preservers and a rescue line. With the family stabilized, a rescue worker operating out of a National Guard Black Hawk helicopter was able to rappel down and save them. The Kastels did not respond to my interview request.

Bryl told me the lead line maneuver is one that he and the fire department practiced for the first time a couple weeks ago.

Interestingly, and perhaps unfortunately, Bryl isn't officially affiliated with the fire department, because the Federal Aviation Administration has a penchant for sending cease-and-desist letters to organizations that fly drones for search and rescue without official clearance from the agency.

Last year, the FAA was embroiled in an ongoing dispute with Texas EquuSearch, a volunteer search-and-rescue group that has been flying drones on many of its missions. The FAA formally asked the group to stop flying; the group sued. That case was eventually thrown out, and the organization has, on occasion, obtained what's known as an emergency Certificate of Authorization to fly its drone.

The Joshua Fire Department doesn't have a COA (it has applied for one). So, in the meantime, Bryl is flying merely as a hobbyist.

"Right now, I'm basically flying as an enthusiast with an emergency scanner," he said. "I know they'd like to have me out there, so I show up in the same way the media might show up and ask them if they need help."

Brendan Schulman, a lawyer who specializes in drone issues and represented Texas EquuSearch last year in its case against the FAA said that the agency needs to make it easier for people like Bryl to fly.

"Stories like these are a good example of why we need to create a lightly-regulated framework for 'micro' drones that are very light weight and are flown low to the ground, separate from the regulations for larger systems," Schulman told me.

"In the case of that water rescue with the rope, the drone apparently wasn't even flown above the roof line," he added. "Countries such as Mexico and Canada have created a stand-alone set of requirements for operating commercial drones that are under 4.4 pounds. The United States should do the same."

Bryl says he's been flying in cooperation with the fire department for about six months now (he started flying quadcopters about three years ago). He said he flies for the department multiple times a week, often to get a better perspective on the brushfires that are common in the area.

"It's a whole different level of flying when you're helping out with an emergency," he said. "When you have property and lives at stake, it gets difficult."