By TERRY PUGH
Timely action by two members of the Corman Park Police Service (CPPS) saved a man’s life during the bitterly cold early morning hours of Saturday, January 3.
Police officers used a drone with a heat-detecting infrared camera to guide a ground search that located an intoxicated, unconscious man who had taken shelter in a garbage bin on a rural property. According to Corman Park Police Chief Robert Duttchen, police received multiple reports of a suspicious male walking along Highway 41 east of Saskatoon at about 11:45 p.m. on Friday, January 2. The man was inadequately dressed for the cold conditions.
The first police officer to arrive on the scene located fresh footprints leading away from the highway into an open field. After summoning a second officer to the scene, the responding officer conducted a foot search, following the footprints through the area.
The second member arrived and deployed the CPPS Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS), commonly referred to as a drone, to assist with a systematic search of the surrounding area.
Using both the drone and a ground search, officers located a 47-year‑old man who had taken shelter inside a dumpster and lost consciousness while in an intoxicated state.
At the time the man was found, the temperature was estimated to be between -20 and -24 degrees Celsius, with wind chill. Police assessed the man at the scene, then lodged him in police cells until sober.
Duttchen said the “thorough, methodical search conducted by the responding officer,” supported by the rapid deployment of the RPAS, directly contributed to locating the man and preventing a potential serious cold‑weather injury or death.
“This is an extraordinary example of the effectiveness of RPAS and the diligence of our officers working together to enhance public safety within the RM of Corman Park,” said Duttchen. “This individual was lucky our members were on the scene quickly.”
The CPPS drone is used quite regularly, according to Duttchen, but “this is the first life-saving intervention” involving the remotely-operated small aircraft.
“It’s an incredible tool,” he said. “This incident proves its inherent value.”
Duttchen said the police service has multiple officers who are certified pilots of unmanned aerial systems. They take training to comply with Transport Canada regulations and Nav Canada air space restrictions.
“The first police officer who arrived on the scene wasn’t a certified pilot,” said Duttchen, “So he called in another member who was certified to bring out the drone. In the meantime the first officer located footprints and started tracking. The advantage of the drone is that it can cover a very large area and also has an infrared camera to pick up body heat signatures, which is a real asset in times of extreme cold.
“The drone operator guided the officer on the ground when the footprint trail was lost.”
Duttchen said the police service currently has only one drone.
“It’s an expensive asset,” he said. “We monitor carefully how often we use it, and the outcomes from those incidents.”