Watch: How a rescue team in the US used a thermal imaging drone to find a missing toddler in a dense cornfield

A thermal imaging drone had to be used to rescue a three-year-old toddler from the United States who got lost in a cornfield at night. The child wandered into the vast 100-acre area alone and could not find his way out. The incident occurred on August 25 in Alto, Wisconsin. Officers from the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office were notified of the missing child at around 8:45 p.m. and immediately rushed to the scene.

Officials had difficulty locating the toddler in the darkness of the 6-foot-high cornfield, so they decided to deploy a thermal imaging drone that could help rescuers pinpoint the child's location using heat signatures, the New York Post reported.

A clip showing the smart rescue operation was uploaded to Facebook by the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office. The video began with footage from the thermal imaging drone capturing the dense cornfield in shades of gray. The police cars were parked at the side of the road and a group of officers had already started their work.

In the next image, a rescuer can be seen navigating the cornfield with a flashlight in hand. It was undoubtedly a challenge for them to find the toddler in the bushes. Thanks to the real-time information provided by the drone pilots, they finally managed to rescue the missing toddler after 15 minutes, according to the New York Post report.

The thermal imaging drone made the rescue team's job easier, as its heat signatures helped narrow the search to a specific area of ​​the cornfield. The little boy was safely returned to his parents, who waited with bated breath to see their son again. When officials found him, the toddler was reportedly half a mile from his home.

Regarding the rescue, the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office said in a statement: “This incident highlights the importance of technology and cooperation between law enforcement agencies in our community. Without the thermal imaging drone, it would likely have taken officers and other first responders hours to search the entire cornfield, and the outcome could have been different.”

Many Facebook users were stunned after seeing the cinematic drone footage. One of them expressed her concern for the missing child, commenting: “This was an incredible rescue. The poor baby must have been so scared.”

“I can only imagine how heartbreaking this must have been for everyone involved, including the officers,” said one user. Another person praised the rescue team, saying: “Great job. So glad the outcome was positive. It was a scary situation for sure.” The video has been viewed more than 140,000 times on Facebook.