Incredible moment DRONES rescue woman who goes missing for eight hours after breaking her leg while walking alone in woods
- Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) were called to Faversham on Sunday
- A woman attempted to ring the police before her phone ran out of battery
Drones successfully rescued a woman who had been missing for eight hours after she broke her leg while walking alone in the woods.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) was called to assist Kent Police with the search of a woman shortly after midnight on Sunday in Faversham.
The lady was believed to be stuck after she attempted to make a call to the police before her phone ran out of battery.
KFRS sent a technical rescue unit, including two drone pilots, to the search area in woodland near Colonels Lane.
Two new, state-of-the-art drones with infrared technology were used simultaneously to search two areas.
A woman who had been missing for over eight hours after sustaining a broken leg in woodland was successfully located and rescued using drone technology
After around two hours of scouring woodland from above in the darkness, KFRS drone pilot and firefighter, Ali Gilfillan, located the woman and the rest of crew rushed to her aid.
They acted fast to assess her condition, created a makeshift splint to support her broken leg and carried her on a stretcher around 300 meters through woodland to the road.
She was handed into the care of South East Coast Ambulance Service.
Firefighter Mr Gilfillan said: ‘You can’t describe the feeling of finding a missing person, and in those situations it can be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
‘But this is what we are trained for – our skills combined with modern technology, and effective joined up working between blue light services, we really can achieve some amazing outcomes.
‘We’re so pleased to have found the lady, and we hope she has a speedy recovery.’
KFRS Technical Rescue Supervisor Jim Chaston said: ‘The drones are fantastic pieces of kit that we use quite often these days – whether that’s helping to locate missing people, or flying over fires to get a better view and understanding of fire spread, search for hot spots, assess damage and structural stability, and provide evidence for fire investigation.
The incident unfolded in Faversham, where the Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) was called to aid Kent Police in the search for the woman
A look at the infrared technology fitted to the drone which helped locate the woman
The drones were deployed simultaneously to search two specific areas near Colonels Lane
After approximately two hours of diligently scouring the wooded area from above, firefighter and drone pilot Ali Gilfillan successfully located the missing woman
The rest of the rescue team promptly rushed to her aid, assessing her condition, after the drone found her
‘Technology within the fire service has come such a long way, and we’ll continue evolve and adapt to make sure we’ll always be able to help people when they need us most.’
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