At 9:05am, December 17th, 2019, Richland County Authorities were notified of an adult male who had walked away from a group home on County Hwy I near County Hwy G in Forest Township. The report indicated the subject had been missing 30-45 minutes and group home staff were attempting to locate the subject but could not. Lieutenant Dane Kanable and Deputy Ken Moe responded to the area and met with employees of the home who gave details and a description of the subject. A search of the area began and Lt. Kanable asked for the Sheriff’s Department drone and a pilot be sent to the scene. Once arrived, drone pilot Deputy Casey Marshall launched the drone and flew the area. Approximately 20 minutes later, the adult male was located by the drone sitting in a wooded area northwest of the residence. He was found cold but uninjured and transported back to the group home.
The drone owned by the Sheriff’s Department was purchased in 2017 with donated funds. It is equipped with a thermal imaging video camera and has proven to be an excellent tool to the department. With Tuesday’s cold conditions, the success of the drone saved valuable time and possible exposure injury to the subject.
Authority:
Chief Deputy Chad Kanable