Feverish search

Missing man (73) narrowly escaped death from the cold

(Bild: LPD NÖ)

A pensioner in Lower Austria narrowly escaped death. The 73-year-old had disappeared without a trace from a nursing home in Eschenau. A search operation with a drone was supposed to save the man's life.

Shortly after 2 a.m. on Thursday night, the man's disappearance from his room in a care home was noticed by a specialist and the police were alerted. The pensioner was last seen at 11 pm.

Search in several municipalities
A large-scale search for the missing man was launched in Eschenau and the surrounding communities, but was initially unsuccessful. Time was of the essence, not least because of the cold at night.

A drone patrol was also called in to help with the search, and it finally found what it was looking for in Eschenau: The thermal imaging camera discovered a heat source.

The man would most likely not have survived the night.

Landespolizeidirektor Franz Popp

During the search, officers discovered the missing 73-year-old, who had apparently fallen and was lying on the ground. The man was severely hypothermic and was taken to hospital after first aid.

Drone as an efficient operational tool
"The man would most likely not have survived the night if he had not been found quickly by the drone using a thermal imaging camera," says Provincial Police Director Franz Popp. "This operation once again demonstrates the efficiency of the police's 'drone' as an operational tool."