MALIBU—On Friday, December 27, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department posted on its Facebook page that deputies with the Malibu/Lost Hills Station deployed the Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) on two separate occasions. The first deployment saved the life of a missing elderly man with dementia and the second deployment helped rescuers locate the driver of a vehicle that had driven off an embankment.
The Lost Hills Station conducted approximately 20 missions since the start of the UAS Pilot Program. The drones allow deputies to cover larger areas in minutes, as opposed to hours on the ground. The thermal imaging assists deputies in detecting heat sources and locating individuals that would otherwise not be found.
“When seconds count, this is the technology that gives us the ability to save lives,” said Sergeant Painter.
Earlier on December 27, Lost Hills Sergeant Painter, Deputy Peraza, and Deputy Wright demonstrated the use of the drone and its success in a video posted on the LASD Facebook page.
By Trevor