Authorities located a missing 3-year-old thanks to the use of a drone. The young child disappeared inside a massive cornfield the size of 100 football fields.
Authorities responded to a call from the 3-year-old boy's parents on Sunday evening. They said that the boy disappeared into a standing cornfield behind their Wisconsin home. Authorities said in a release they also turned to technology to help them locate the missing child. His parents confirmed that he was "was last seen at approximately 7:30 p.m. and all of the barns and buildings on the property had been thoroughly searched."
Deputies requested the help of the Alto Fire Department as well as drone operators from the City of Fond du Lac Police Department for help. Since it was nighttime, authorities used a drone with thermal imaging to cover the large area. The drone made it easy to locate the child in the large field. "The Fond du Lac Police Department Technology Response Group assisted, and within minutes the drone operator was able to direct ground units to the child," the authorities said.
3-Year-Old Goes Missing In Cornfield
Fortunately, the drone was able to locate a heat spot in the field. The drone operator then helped direct authorities to the location of the boy. How did he end up in the cornfield? You can blame a cat. In an interview with local ABC affiliate WISN, Lt. Alex Volm of the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office said the 3-year-old had "been chasing a cat into the cornfield."
"A harmless thing, you know, but it could have turned out really bad had we not had the opportunity to use our tools and collaborate with our law enforcement partners," Volm added.
Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. The authorities also thanked technology like the drone for helping to quickly solve the situation.
"Instances like these highlight the importance of technology and collaboration amongst law enforcement in our community," the authorities said, per the release. "Without the use of the thermal imaging drone, it would likely have taken Deputies and other first responders hours to search the entire cornfield and the outcome may have been different."
