ON Saturday, July 29 at approximately 10:22 p.m., Delta Police responded to a report a missing individual who walked away from Delta Hospital. The individual had been admitted to hospital for physical medical issues, which were complicated by potential dementia-like symptoms.

Officers promptly responded to a potential sighting of the missing individual at Dugald Morrison Park but were not able to locate the individual during their initial efforts. However, the officers persisted and skillfully deployed a drone equipped with an infrared (IR) camera and spotlight. The initial efforts did not yield positive results. Undeterred, however, prioritizing the individual’s well-being given their reported medical condition, the team extended the search to the nearby areas and farm fields.

During this expanded search, the drone’s technology proved invaluable. Following the detection of a heat signature, the DPD team used the spotlight and zoom cameras technology on the drone to precisely pinpoint the individual’s location in a brush area approximately 100 meters south of the 4300 block of 57th Street.

Delta Police said that thanks to the seamless integration of advanced technology and exemplary teamwork of its officers, the missing individual was safely located and taken to hospital for appropriate medical care. Without this technology, locating the individual in the dark would have been a challenging task.

Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord said: “The DPD is dedicated to leveraging the latest technological advancements to bolster community safety and provide efficient policing services to our community. This incident exemplifies our unwavering commitment to innovation and our commitment to use of all available resources to ensure the safety and well-being of our community members.”