NYS Police Drone Operator Quickly Finds Herkimer County Woman in Distress

New York State Police in East Herkimer has a positive story involving a drone and the rescue of a Herkimer County woman in distress. It was a thermal image from a New York State Police drone that helped Troopers find the Town of Columbia safely.

On April 16th, just before midnight, Troopers Justin Guba and Jared Platt, of State Police in East Herkimer were dispatched to a call of a suicidal female in the town of Columbia, located in Herkimer County.

When Troopers arrived at the residence, they interviewed the subject’s estranged boyfriend who stated that his 47-year-old ex-girlfriend called him and told him she was going to kill herself by overdosing on medication. The male was able to locate her vehicle by using a cell phone app.

The vehicle was found at the Ilion Marina. The Ilion Police Department was sent to the marina and quickly located the woman’s vehicle, unoccupied. At the scene of the vehicle, they located empty prescription pill bottles. Troopers were able to “ping” the woman’s cell phone which also showed to be in the general area of the Ilion marina.

Several agencies assisted in the search and rescue. The Frankfort Town Police, Frankfort Village Police, Herkimer Police, Mohawk Police, and Ilion Police began to search the area of the Ilion Marina to no avail. The estranged boyfriend called the female’s phone and was able to speak with her. She stated that she was lying down and was incapacitated in a wooded area somewhere near Ilion. At this point, rescuers were unable to determine where the woman was located.

That's when the NYSP UAS (Drone) responded with thermal imaging to attempt to locate the woman. Sergeant/Station Commander David Olney, Troop D Drone Unit Coordinator responded to the Ilion Marina and utilizing thermal imaging, located the woman in approximately 20 minutes. She was lying in an extremely dense, swampy area dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. Sergeant Olney directed searching members to the location of the woman. The searchers waded through knee-deep swampy areas to reach the woman who was extricated to a waiting MOVAC ambulance.

The woman was transported to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Utica for treatment and mental health evaluation.

Officials say, the quick thinking of the NYSP Troopers on the scene of the initial call, the assistance of the Mohawk Valley police agencies, and the use of the thermal camera on the UAS/Drone all led to a successful search and rescue of the victim.