US: How thermal drone helped find 3-year-old toddler lost in 6-ft cornfield at night

A three-year-old boy who got lost in a large cornfield at night was safely rescued thanks to thermal imaging technology in Alto, Wisconsin. Deputies from the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office were alerted about the missing child at around 8:45 p.m. on August 25th.

Due to the darkness, authorities deployed a thermal drone to scan the dense, 6-foot-tall cornfield. The drone’s infrared camera detected heat signatures, helping rescuers locate the lost boy among the towering stalks, as reported by the New York Post.

The sheriff's office shared a video where the drone surveys the vast cornfield, displaying a textured black-and-white thermal image. At approximately 9:30 p.m., a bright white figure is seen moving through the corn – it’s the lost three-year-old!


Soon after, a Fond du Lac County deputy and personnel from the Alto Fire Department appear in the thermal footage, approaching the child. The rescuers, also visible as white shapes, quickly make their way toward him.

Within 15 minutes, they successfully located the lost toddler, narrowing the search area using the heat signature. The boy was safely brought out of the field and reunited with his parents.

The dramatic rescue, captured on thermal drone footage, highlighted the crucial role of technology in such situations.

"This incident showcases the importance of technology and collaboration among law enforcement in our community," said the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office.

They added that without the thermal drone, the search could have taken hours, and the outcome might have been different. The lost boy was found about half a mile from his home.