Virginia First Responders Use Quadcopter Drones to Help Rescue Injured Logger

Emergency services continue to progress with the times, and these days, that means the incorporation of drones into rescue ops has become more and more common. Last week in Virginia, Pittsylvania County's Danville Life Saving Crew utilized several drones to assist in rescuing an injured logger on the Dan River.

According to media reports, the logger became trapped when a tree fell onto his hand. Due to the geography of the environment, Danville Life Saving Crew opted to launch their recently-acquired drones. DLSC assistant director Bryan Fox told news outlets his crew had recently become certified as drone pilots, and seized the opportunity to utilize the new tool. 

While responding to the call, members of the Danville Life Saving Crew constructed a strategy of how to rescue the injured logger. When rescue efforts began, Fox piloted a drone to safely guide the rescue boat to the worker. Due to heavy amounts of debris and rocks, the drone was able to see what the boat operators were not. The drone was also used to help guide members up the embankment.

Currently, drones can be found assisting the FDNY in fire operations, various police departments in static scenarios, and EMS/rescue agencies in rescue efforts. Since drones are only really used to observe situations at this time, they are best used for recon and general observation by command staff.