Citation

Van Tilburg C. Wilderness Environ. Med. 2017; 28(2): 116-118.

Affiliation

Crag Rats Mountain Rescue, Hood River, OR; Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, Hood River, OR; Mountain Rescue Association, San Diego, CA. Electronic address: vantilburg@gorge.net.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.wem.2016.12.010

PMID

28318989

Abstract

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), colloquially called drones, are used commonly for military, government, and civilian purposes, including both commercial and consumer applications. During a search and rescue mission in Oregon, a UAS was used to confirm a fatality in a slot canyon; this eliminated the need for a dangerous rappel at night by rescue personnel. A second search mission in Oregon used several UAS to clear terrain. This allowed search of areas that were not accessible or were difficult to clear by ground personnel. UAS with cameras may be useful for searching, observing, and documenting missions. It is possible that UAS might be useful for delivering equipment in difficult areas and in communication.

Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en

Keywords

SAR; UAS; UAV; drone; search and rescue; unmanned aviation systems