HIWASSEE DAM, N.C. — A 15-year-old boy with special needs is back home after crews located him in the woods using drone technology.
Hiwassee Dam Fire Department said in a Facebook post that their members, along with multiple other agencies, their crews and a few drones, responded to the scene and started flying.
Hamilton County Emergency Management and West Polk Fire and Rescue began flying three drones in grid patterns for two hours, according to Hiwassee Dam Fire Department.
The department said one of the drones picked up a heat signature, and once zoomed in, saw the signature seemed to be a body lying in the fetal position.
The drone operator was able to mark the GPS coordinates and lead searchers to the missing teen. The department says the teen was then carried out of the woods and turned over to EMS for a medical evaluation.
The department said the boy was found in good shape, and they thanked the "amazing technology" and those who searched.
