Police in Riverside County found a man who was seriously missing after flying a drone over the area where he had last been seen, officials said.
In an April 5 Instagram post, Desert Hot Springs police said the event happened “a few days ago,” but it’s not clear exactly when it happened. Police were called to the east end of the city because an elderly man with dementia was missing.
The man apparently ran away from a local care facility, and the staff tried hard to find him but failed, according to the Desert Hot Springs Police Department.
The Instagram post says that the department’s drone team quickly put the drone to use.
The missing older guy was found within 10 minutes of the drone team arriving on the scene, thanks to coordination with police on the ground. He was seen wandering around the area and was taken back to the care centre safely.
“This incident shows how important it is for ground and air assets to work together during major incidents,” police said.
A “critically” missing or “at risk” person, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, is defined as:
- The person/child missing is the victim of a crime or foul play
- The person/child missing is in need of medical attention
- The person/child missing has no pattern of running away or disappearing
- The person/child missing may be the victim of parental abduction
- The person/child missing is mentally or physically impaired
