Texas Game Warden Search and Rescue Drone Program Yields Positive Outcomes Across the State

Three recent incidents requiring game warden drone support and successful coordination with local law enforcement led to an arrest in east Texas and two rescues of lost individuals in the hill country.

On the night of Nov. 3, Texas Game Warden Michael Hummert responded to an Erath County Sheriff’s Office request for assistance. An elderly man had gone missing in Dublin, Texas. As the only law enforcement officer equipped with a thermal drone in the county, his services were necessary.

“The setting sun prevented us from locating him through usual means,” Hummert said. “The thermal drone picks up body heat, which is necessary to locate someone at night. With the cold creeping in, it was imperative to find him quickly.”

Using cell phone records, the sheriff’s office determined a general location for the individual and Hummert mapped out a search area. Working out of a control station attached to his vehicle, he located the individual through a thermal scan and led…