A story of a successful search operation for an elderly man of 77 with health and mental challenges; reported missing on Tuesday April 16th, 2019.  

In Florida, the man had wandered away from his residence which is in the proximity of Santa Barbara Boulevard and Golden Gate Parkway.  The Collier County Sheriffs Office (CCSO) Drone Operations Unit was deployed just before 5 p.m. EST(2 p.m. PST).  At 5:27 p.m. Drone Pilot Cpl. Harley Terrill reported a visual of a man matching the description moving between a house and garage, under a significant canopy of trees in the area.  The man was confirmed to be the one reported missing and was recovered safely within the deputies' immediate response to the sighting.

Drones first entered use with the CCSO in 2015, making them the first law enforcement agency in Florida to have certification to utilize drone technology in law enforcement services.

The CCSO's last major use of drones was following the events of Hurricane Irma in 2017.  The department's drone use so far, has been primarily for tactical support, missing people searches, and documentation of events.

All CCSO drone pilots have their Federal Aviation Administration license and certification from an extensive training program; assuring proficient operation of Unmanned Arial Vehicles and knowledge of Agency policy and State laws.  

You can read the full story here on Collier County's Web Page

Collier County is in between Fort Myers and Everglades National Park on the map.

We are truly happy to hear such an inspirational story of success, following adherence to laws and policies regarding drone use.  Congrats to Collier County for the job well done!