Vancouver’s North Shore Mountains, a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, attract thousands annually for hiking, running, biking, and skiing. Though, the rugged terrain and dense coastal rainforest can quickly turn a pleasant outing into a perilous situation. Each year, North Shore rescue (NSR) receives over 100 calls from individuals lost or injured in this challenging surroundings.

The Challenge of Mountain Search and Rescue

Locating missing persons in the steep, lush mountains is a demanding task. Conventional search methods often involve ground crews navigating treacherous landscapes, a process that can be time-consuming and physically exhausting. But now, technology is changing the game.

Drones: A Technological Lifeline

North Shore Rescue, active as 1965, is embracing cutting-edge technology too enhance its search capabilities. Drones equipped with thermal imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) software are proving invaluable in locating individuals more rapidly.

grant Baldwin, a drone operator for NSR, emphasizes the synergy between technological advancements and the critical needs of search and rescue operations. It’s a solution that combines the best of the needs of search and rescue and the capabilities of new tools on the market.

Thermal imaging allows drones to detect heat signatures, making it easier to spot individuals even in dense foliage. Subjects stick out ‘quite radiant’ at 60 to 90 metres in the air,” Baldwin explained. You can see a person really clearly if you’re in the right spot.

How Drones Enhance Rescue Operations

• Rapid Scanning: Drones can quickly scan difficult-to-reach areas such as gullies, creeks, and cliffs.
• Targeted Deployment: Software helps searchers quickly scan hard-to-reach gullies, creeks or cliffs.
• Efficiency: Drones enable ground crews to be deployed more strategically, saving valuable time.

While ground crews, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, and helicopters remain essential components of NSR’s operations, drone technology provides a crucial advantage in rapidly assessing vast and challenging terrains.

The Cost of Innovation

The advancement and implementation of drone technology represent a significant investment. The equipment has cost approximately $40,000,funded entirely through donations,which NSR relies on to function.

A Life Saved: The Mount Seymour Rescue

In early December, NSR responded to a call about a missing hiker on Mount seymour.Baldwin recounted the urgency of the situation, stating he was on his last battery when he located the hiker using the drone’s thermal imaging capabilities.

The hiker was found approximately two kilometers away, huddled under a tree and suffering from hypothermia. He was quite hypothermic. He had fallen in some creeks.It was about –6, so if the team hadn’t found him that night it would be more of a recovery, Baldwin said.

This successful rescue highlights the potential of drone technology to save lives, especially in situations where time is of the essence.

Limitations of Thermal Imaging

While thermal imaging is a powerful tool, it has limitations. During the summer months,heat from the sun can saturate the environment,making it difficult to distinguish individuals from the surrounding terrain.

Eagle Eyes: AI-Powered Search and Rescue

To overcome the limitations of thermal imaging, NSR is exploring the use of AI-powered software developed in Squamish, B.C. This software, called Eagle Eyes, utilizes computer vision technology to detect anomalies in landscapes.

Peter O’Connor, the creator of Eagle Eyes, explained that the software is trained to identify unusual features, such as movement or clothing, even if they are barely visible to the human eye. It can see things that the human eye would struggle to detect.

The software analyzes each pixel in the image, measuring how well it fits into the overall color distribution. It’s mainly looking at each pixel in the image and measuring how well it fits into the image, how well it fits into the color distribution, O’Connor said.

The goal is to provide search teams with real-time information, enabling them to act quickly and efficiently. It helps get that that information into the map that the team is using as quick as possible so that they can act on it.

Personal Duty in the Backcountry

Despite the advancements in search and rescue technology, Baldwin emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility when venturing into the mountains. Don’t expect the drone to find you 100 per cent of the time, he cautioned.

Even with the aid of technology,search and rescue operations can be challenging and unpredictable. I have flown over a subject and they heard it but I did not see them and they were rescued about 13 hours later. They said it was quite comforting to hear the drone over them, Baldwin shared.