Moment missing girl, 10, is found curled up in woods after frantic 24hr search using thermal-imaging drone
24 September 2024, 13:29
This is the astonishing moment a missing 10-year-old girl was located with thermal imaging drones after she got lost in a forest.
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Peyton Saintignan disappeared on Sept 14 after she sleepwalked deep into the woods near her Louisiana home.
Drone footage released yesterday shows the moment she was found huddled under a tree in her pyjamas at 11pm the next day.
When Peyton lifts her head, operators of the drone can be heard excitedly shouting: “She’s awake. They got her! She’s alive!” Another man says as applause erupts in the background.
The scared, shaking girl was carried to safety by police who arrived a short time later.
Drone footage captures moment missing girl in Louisiana is found
Volunteers from Arkansas offered up specialist drone equipment and eventually located Peyton 1.5 miles from her home.
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She was found “in dense woods roughly 300 yards from where a trail camera had recorded her earlier Sunday morning”, Jason Parker, the local sheriff, said.
“I can’t tell you how thrilled we all are to have a happy ending to this,” Mr Parker said.
“A lot of prayers were answered today. And, I want especially to thank all the agencies who helped bring Peyton safely home and all the volunteers who gave their time and efforts.”
Volunteer drone operators, Josh Klober, Matt Ramos and Micah Carter, “successfully located the young girl” after a helicopter was unable to find her.
