Video: Thermal-Imaging Drone Finds 3-Year-Old Lost in Cornfield at Night

Deputies in Wisconsin last week were tasked with finding a missing 3-year-child who, according to a parent, had wandered into a more than 100-acre cornfield at night. The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office released a video showing the value of drones equipped with thermal imaging.

The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office shared in a social media post that instances like these highlight the importance of technology and collaboration among law enforcement. Deputies called for help from the Fond du Lac Police Department Technology Response Group, which responded and deployed its drone capable of thermal imaging.

The Fond du Lac County Communication Center received a call about the missing child at 8:49 p.m., and arriving deputies soon learned the child had not been seen since about 7:30. All the barns and buildings had been searched, yet the child had not been found. The only spot remaining to search was the standing corn.

The Alto Fire Department started a systematic search of the 100-plus acres of corn, and the drone operator with the City of Fond du Lac Police Department started scanning the area with the drone equipped with thermal cameras. Members of the sheriff’s office's drone team were also on the scene.

At about 9:30 p.m., the drone operator noticed a heat signature in the middle of the cornfield and was able to direct a deputy and firefighters to the child’s location while watching with the thermal camera from overhead.

The sheriff's office said the child was approximately a half mile away from home when he was located.