When you’re lost in the woods, you don’t have many options for what you can do. A stranded man got creative and was luckily able to use a drone to send a message for help.
According to the Lane County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team, they received a call from a man who had been stranded on a road in the Willamette National Forest that was not maintained for winter travel. In a post on their Facebook page, the team went into more details about the unique twist to this rescue mission.
The rescue team said that the man didn’t have cell service or anyone familiar with his plans who would call for help if he didn’t return home. The man decided to stay with his vehicle, which the team called a “smart decision.”
“Rarely does anyone in Oregon die from exposure waiting in their vehicle to be found and rescued,” the team wrote. “But we have unfortunately seen many poor outcomes from those who chose to walk away.”
To get the attention of a rescue team, the man attached his phone to his drone, typed out a text message to his friend explaining his situation and launched it several hundred feet into the air. Fortunately, the phone was able to connect to a cell tower nearby.
“The increased elevation allowed his phone to connect to a tower and send the message, which resulted in our teams being deployed and assisting him out of his situation,” the team said.
The search and rescue team also shared a few winter travel safety tips which include, telling someone you know where you’re going and how long until you get home, never leaving your vehicle and being aware that forest roads are often not maintained during the winter.