See it: Drone aids in 'priceless reunion' of lost boy in snowy Colorado wilderness
"Overjoyed to say it worked out well, and the young rider is OK and back with his family," the Douglas County Search and Rescue said.
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RAMPART RANGE, Colo. – A lost 10-year-old ATV rider stranded in a snowy Colorado wilderness owes his survival to his quick thinking and life-saving technology.
The boy went missing in the Rampart Range on Sunday. Douglas County Search and Rescue (DCSAR) said they successfully located and rescued him in a "priceless reunion."
A lost 10-year-old ATV rider stranded in a snowy Colorado wilderness owes his survival to his quick thinking and life-saving technology. (Douglas County Search and Rescue)
"Overjoyed to say it worked out well, and the young rider is OK and back with his family," the volunteer-based organization said.
When the child realized he was lost, he took the right steps, rescue crews said.
"He stopped, stayed calm, called 911 … and he stayed in one place until we arrived," they said, allowing dispatch to pinpoint his exact location and deploy search crews immediately.
A multi-faceted search and rescue operation was immediately launched, utilizing a drone, ATVs and teams of authorities on foot.
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The boy went missing in the Rampart Range on Sunday. (Douglas County Search and Rescue)
Crews communicated with the rider using a drone and then dropped a care package of food, water, a winter hat and a thermal blanket to help until teams could get there.
A drone drops supplies to the lost boy. (Douglas County Search and Rescue)
"We wanted to establish communication with him to make sure he was OK," drone operator Darren Keralla told FOX 31 in Denver. "So, I used the speaker attachment on the drone and asked him if he was OK, to give me a thumbs up, which he did."
Arnett said he was able to relay that information back to the crew, as well as the family.
"A positive outcome due to teamwork and technology," rescue crews said.