A thermal video recorded by a drone shows law enforcement officials rescuing a 3-year-old boy who went missing recently and disappeared in a 100-acre corn field at night in Alto, Wisconsin.
In a press release by the Fond Du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement officials wrote, “Our Deputies responded to a call of a lost 3-year old child that had wandered off into a 100+ acre corn field. Given the night time conditions and large area to be searched, Deputies quickly assessed the need for a drone with thermal capabilities. The Fond du Lac Police Department Technology Response Group assisted, and within minutes the drone operator was able to direct ground units to the child.”
According to the recent press release, the boy’s parents contacted the Fond du Lac County Communication Center at roughly 8:49 p.m. on August 25. The parents reported that their 3-year-old child was missing and was likely in a huge corn field located behind the family’s home.
The press release added, “The Alto Fire Department started a systematic search of the 100+ acres of standing corn and the drone operator with the City of Fond du Lac Police Department started scanning the area with a drone equipped with thermal cameras.”
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In the thermal camera video taken by the drone, large rows of corn can be seen as dark shapes surrounding a small white dot. Law enforcement officials were able to use the thermal camera to locate the boy, who can be seen as the small white dot on the camera. The video then shows officials rescuing the child and taking him back to his family.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office noted that the drone discovered a heat spot in the middle of the corn field at roughly 9:30 p.m. The drone was used to guide a Fond du Lac County deputy and fire personnel inside the cornfield to the location of the missing child.
According to the press release, law enforcement officials reported at roughly 9:46 that the child was located and was not injured. The 3-year-old was then carried out of the corn field and returned to his parents. Law enforcement officials said the 3-year-old was located roughly a half mile away from his home.
In its press release, the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office emphasized the importance of the drone technology in finding the missing 3-year-old.
“Instances like these highlight the importance of technology and collaboration amongst law enforcement in our community,” the sheriff’s office said. “Without the use of the thermal imaging drone, it would likely have taken Deputies and other first responders hours to search the entire cornfield and the outcome may have been different.”
