West Chester police use thermal imaging drone to find lost elderly person

WEST CHESTER, Pa. - Police in West Chester used a thermal imaging drone to rescue an elderly person who was lost in the woods amid bitter cold temperatures overnight.

What we know:

The West Chester Police Department says it was contacted by a neighboring department to help with the search for a missing elderly person. 

An officer cross-trained as a drone pilot used a drone equipped with thermal imaging and a spotlight to locate the missing person in a wooded area.

The aerial footage helped guide police officers on the ground to the person's location and medical care was "delivered swiftly."

Police shared a thermal image showing the outline of the missing person.

What we don't know:

The condition of the elderly person who was lost is not known.

What they're saying:

The West Chester Police Department said the use of technology, like drones, helps "build safer and stronger communities."

"We are proud to say that this is an example of us leveraging technology with training to deliver high quality service to our community," police said.