Police in Nova Scotia used an unmanned aerial system (UAS) equipped with surveillance camera to find a family lost in a wilderness area late Saturday. A couple and their 17-year-old daughter got disoriented after setting out on a hike about 4:30 p.m. and called police for help on a cellphone about 8:30 p.m.The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) sent a UAS unit to the area and the trio was spotted by the UAS late Saturday near Topsail Lake just outside Dartmouth, NS.
Many police forces in Canada operate UASs for searches like this and also to document and map vehicle accident scenes. Transport Canada allows the use of UASs for law enforcement and a variety of commercial applications through a special flight operation certificate. Applicants have to show Transport Canada that they know aviation regs and that their use of the UAS won’t be a hazard.
