Drone finds vulnerable man in the darkness

A police drone was used to peer through the darkness and find a vulnerable young man.

Police were called to King’s Mill Reservoir in Sutton-in-Ashfield shortly after 5am on Saturday 1 February after the man had threatened to harm himself.

The drone pilot used a thermal imaging camera to find the man on a footpath and track his subsequent movements.

With the subject in sight the pilot was then able to direct officers on the ground to find him and give him the help he needed.

Sergeant Vince Saunders, chief drone pilot at Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“This was another excellent example of what our drones can achieve. This young man was in a very vulnerable state and it was imperative that we tracked him down without delay.

“By taking to the air with a drone we are able to search very large areas extremely quickly – even peering through tree canopies and undergrowth in order to find the person we are looking for.

“That is an absolutely vital capability to have in situations like this and one we are able to deploy on demand across the county.”

The team, made up of 13 volunteer pilots and six high-tech drones, is on duty 24/7 for deployment.

Pilots are regular police officers who combine drone shifts with their other work.