Police Use Drone To Find Missing Boaters

On Saturday July 6, 2019, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office was called to Lake Superior State Park in the Town of Bethel regarding patrons in a rowboat who were overdue to return to the dock.

Park personnel became concerned because the National Weather Service had warned of a violent thunder storm quickly approaching the area. The topography of Lake Superior is such that one cannot easily walk or drive around the shore line without encountering thick brush and forest.

Deputies who responded to the scene deployed a drone and quickly spotted the overdue boaters.

As the drone approached the rowboat, deputies used a built in public address system on the aircraft to warn the occupants of the approaching thunderstorm and order them back to the dock.

The patrons returned without incident. Sheriff Mike Schiff said, “New technology continues to enhance the abilities of law enforcement, especially in the rural areas of Sullivan County”. Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Town of Bethel Constables.

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