A missing hiker was successfully located and rescued from a park early Saturday morning in Stafford County, Virginia, thanks to the sheriff office’s drone pilots.
“We witnessed extraordinary piloting skills on the big screen in Top Gun, Sully and Independence Day. You can add two Stafford County Sheriff’s Office drone pilots to that list after their life-saving rescue mission early this morning,” Stafford County Sheriff’s Office Major Shawn Kimmitz said in a news release.
A 36-year-old man was reported missing just after 1 a.m. in the Civil War Park on Mount Hope Church Road, after being separated from a fellow hiker around midnight.
The sheriff’s office said that the missing hiker was “not properly dressed” for the temperatures that “plummeted below freezing.”
They activated the drone team and observed the missing hiker in the woods just before 6 a.m.
“The drone proceeded to lead the rescue team to the lost hiker and bring him to safety,” Kimmitz said.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
