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2 months ago
11
A missing Louisiana girl was found sleeping in the woods after a day long search by officials using thermal imaging-equipped drones.
Peyton Saintignan, 10, disappeared from her Dubberly home and was last seen at bedtime on September 14 wearing blue Frozen themed pajamas and no shoes.
Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker said she wandered away from her home and was caught by a trail camera walking in a wooded area.
Police launched an intense search on September 15 conducted by hundreds of volunteers and a large number of agencies when Drone Management Services LLC of Magnolia, Arkansas offered their services.
Using the company's thermal imaging-equipped drones, police found the young girl curled up as she slept on the forest floor.
A missing Louisiana girl was found sleeping in the woods by officials using thermal imaging-equipped drones
Police woke Peyton Saintignan (pictured), 10, from her slumber on the forest floor and carried her to safety
'She was in dense woods roughly 300 yards from where a trail camera had recorded her earlier Sunday morning,' Parker said.
'She was asleep when we found her. We've had her checked by EMS and she is fine, back at home and hungry.'
Drone Management Services provided their vital services to law enforcement after hearing about the rescue effort from a family member.
'We had the DeSoto Parish helicopter in the air and couldn't put drones up at the time, but when it was possible, Josh Klober, Matt Ramos and Micah Carter brought their equipment and successfully located the young girl,' Parker said.
The drone footage captured Saintignan being woken by rescuers and carried to safety around 11 p.m.
The thermal drones detected the girl laying in the woods then rescuers were able to walk towards her and bring her to the main road
She disappeared from her Dubberly home and was last seen at bedtime on September 14 and was captured by a trail camera (pictured) the next day
The 10-year-old (pictured) was checked by EMS and she is fine, back at home and hungry
'Drone Management Services was honored to play a part in the search and rescue operation. Witnessing the moment Peyton was found, peacefully sleeping in the woods, was truly heartwarming,' the company said.
The Louisiana State Police, Webster Parish School Board, Advanced Ambulance, Daubery Police Dept., Dixie Inn Police Department Crossroads Canine Search and Rescue and numerous other drone and dog teams contributed to the search.
'I can't tell you how thrilled we all are to have a happy ending to this,' Parker said. 'A lot of prayers were answered today.
'And, I want especially to thank all the agencies who helped bring Peyton safely home, and all the volunteers who gave their time and efforts. This was truly a cooperative effort.'
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