There is a constant striving to improve lives with advanced technology, thinking and trying to reinvent the wheel. In many ways, new gadgets fail to meet the promised expectations and the growth of automated industry has often disrupted lives and taken money off the table from blue-collar workers who are finding themselves replaced by a machine. However, there are times when these inventions and applied technology can save the day, and more recently, a hunter who got lost in the woods.
The 92-year-old man was an experienced hunter who had also served his country during World War II. He was no stranger to knowing how to survive and he packed provisions for his day in the woods. Unfortunately, he stated that nightfall caught him unaware and he was no longer able to find his way out of the woods safely. So he contacted a relative by phone and tried to describe his location. Searchers were summoned but in spite of calling in the both foot patrols and helicopters, rescuers were unable to find the stranded man.
The following morning, the local sheriff’s office in the Virginia County responded to the call for assistance and sent in their newest acquisition to aid in the search…a drone. Once the suspected coordinates were entered into the onboard navigation, the drone was sent off to help locate the man who had just spent the night the night exposed to the 20 degree weather. In less than 30 minutes, the man had been located safely.
Once found and reunited with his family, the elderly man promised to take a partner along the next time he ventures into the woods. The drone that located him is used in a special pilot program that locates lost seniors who suffer from illness such as Alzheimer ’s disease. The program, called Project Lifesavers, locates the lost participants who wear a specialized bracelet. In this case, other instruments on board the drone were used to complete the tracking assignment.
A recent study was undertaken in Sweden that sought to compare the response time of a fully equipped ambulance with a drone that was outfitted with a defibrillator. Researchers wanted to determine whether potentially lifesaving equipment could be dispatched to a victim in a faster manner. So researchers analyzed the response times of ambulances that were dispatched to heart attack patients within a given time frame and distance. Then, they sent drones to those locations to compare the time it took to prepare, dispatch and arrive at those previous locations.
In every situation, the drone shaved off a significant portion of time. In the event a patient is suffering a cardiac event, seconds count. If a drone that is carrying equipment can arrive within the first few moments, then a patient has a much higher survival rate. While the study proved the usefulness of these tools, more research will likely need to be conducted before drones can be sent to these types of emergency calls.
Writer Bio: Angela Mose
I am a mom of 7 who has successfully homeschooled for 20 years. I was married for more than 25 years and have recently started my life over. I have a passion for writing and music and when the two can be combined, it is utopia. A Maryland native, I am planning to relocate north in the near future and will continue to strive to learn and experience new things on a regular basis. I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home while exploring new ways to increase my knowledge and skills and help improve the lives of those around me.
