Drone Used To Find Deaf Runaway: Video

FREMONT, CA — A student at the California School for the Deaf who ran away was found safe thanks to the use of the police department's drone. The nighttime search was aided by a thermal imaging camera system, which guided searchers on the ground to the missing student.

While located in Fremont, the school is under the jurisdiction of the California Highway Patrol. The CHP quickly asked nearby police agencies to help find the missing student.

Around 8:30 p.m. on Feb.5, Fremont patrol officers started searching for the boy. His friends helped investigators narrow the search area.

"Through the use of social media," police said in a release, "it was believed that the juvenile was near the train tracks in our Irvington District, close to Roberts Ave."

The Fremont Police Department drone operator deployed an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), while other officers began searching the railroad tracks on foot. The teen was quickly pinpointed because of the thermal imaging and the information was shared with officers and his friends searching on the ground.

Police say the teens "approached their friend who was hiding in bushes. The UAV operator was able to visually see this transpiring and continued to relay the information over the radio. The friends were aware of the UAV in the air and used their cell phone flashlights to signal the operator. A spotlight on the UAV helped guide officers to their location and was used to provide light while officers communicated to the teens."

FPD's drone program administrator is Lt. Matt Snelson who commented, “we have been training and expanding our program to be prepared for this exact scenario. This technology allowed us to expedite a search, which normally could have taken several hours and a lot of resources. To be able to locate a young man who needed help and get him to the resources he needed, is a big success for our UAV Team and our community.”

Fremont Police say they operate the drone in strict accordance with constitutional and privacy rights, FAA regulations, and department policy.

The California School for the Deaf educates deaf children from all over Northern California. It is located at 39350 Gallaudet Dr. The California School for the Blind is adjacent to the Deaf School.

(Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news from your California neighborhood. Also, download the free Patch iPhone app or free Patch Android app. Also, be sure to follow your local Patch on Facebook!) Also See:

• 10 Calif. Restaurants Earn AAA 5-Diamond Rating
• Dusk Over San Francisco: Photo Of The Day
• Alameda Girl Desperately Needs Bone Marrow Transplant