The air patrol squadron attached to Finland's Border Guard has posted footage on the unit's official twitter account of the moment a helicopter using thermal imaging search located a missing man.
The man, reported to be in his 80s and suffering from a memory disorder, disappeared in the Eastern Finland municipality of Liperi in North Karelia on Tuesday morning.
Volunteer rescue service and sniffer dogs failed to locate the man despite hours of searching during daylight hours. However, the man was found shortly before midnight using thermal imaging technology, just minutes after the helicopter search began.
Watch the moment the man was located using a thermal imaging camera. Story continues after video.
The man was found lying in undergrowth about half a kilometre from where he was reported missing. According to the patrol squadron, the man was moving when he was found.
An ambulance was called to the scene and the man was taken to a local hospital for examination.
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Commander Ismo Siikaluoma of the Border Guard told Yle that the thermal imaging camera is a powerful tool in the search for missing persons, especially in the dark and in bad weather conditions . Specialised cameras can also be used for land, water and air exploration.
"The thermal imaging camera makes it easy to detect objects that are warmer than the environment quickly and from far away. It also works in daylight," says Siikaluoma.
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However, Siikaluoma added that heavy rain or snowy conditions may make it challenging to use the thermal imaging camera.