Missing teen rescued with help of Metro Drone Team

A local missing and endangered teen was rescued yesterday with the help of a Eugene Springfield Metro Drone Team operator, Lane County Search and Rescue team, and Eugene Springfield Fire.

At 9:45 p.m. on September 26, Eugene Police Drone Team responded to assist Lane County Sheriff's Office Patrol and Search and Rescue after an endangered girl in her teens was reported missing. She was reported to have been seen about four hours earlier walking along a trail system that leads to the Willamette River. She was wearing only a top and shorts and no shoes. She had no phone, no money, food, or water and was in the throes of a mental health crisis brought on by a physical condition.

The Metro Drone Team joined LCSO's approximately 15 Search and Rescue volunteers and an EPD officer/drone operator launched an M30 drone with the GL60 Mini spotlight attached. The officer began scanning from the girl's last known location. He checked toward the river and along multiple branches of trails. Eventually he spotted a heat signature oddly placed in the middle of an open area about 1,700 feet away from his launch location. It was the teen, but she was trapped in the middle of a huge blackberry thicket.

The drone operator guided LCSO SAR to her GPS coordinates and maintained the drone overhead with a spotlight so deputies could use that to get to her. The deputies dug into the thicket and also had SAR bring an ATV to help shuttle Eugene Springfield Fire paramedics and plow blackberries.

The EPD drone officer said, "Given her position, I don't believe she would have been found without the use of the drone. She was so cut up and exhausted, she was unable to move any further through the thicket. The family, LCSO, and SAR were thoroughly happy and impressed with the drone team capabilities and extended their gratitude. Every once in a while, there are calls for service where you walk away from it feeling like you had a positive impact on the people we are there to help. This was one of those for me. These poor family members (immediate and extended who were all-in on searching for this kid) were worried sick that this girl was hurt or worse. To see and hear their gratitude and relief after finding her was huge. I let them look on my screen to see their loved one was being cared for by all of these responders. This team is important and vital and I'm happy to be a part of it."