Sask. RCMP use drone technology in remote rescue operation [Video]

After a group of hikers became stranded by an unexpected rise in water levels, RCMP officers on-scene took to the skies to track them down.

“They were well prepared hikers, they went into an area they knew,” said Superintendent Devin Pugh, the officer in charge of support services with Saskatchewan RCMP.

It happened June 16 along the Rice River Canyon, when a group of four friends were caught by a rising river overnight.

“In fact, one of their backpacks, one of their tents actually got washed away,” Pugh said.

Despite a lack of cell coverage, the well-equipped hikers were able to call for help. As a search effort was coordinated on the ground, Carrot River RCMP officers deployed their eye in the sky, a small drone with big capabilities.

“We located those individuals using our thermal camera, so we’re able to say, ‘Okay, that’s where they are’,” Pugh said. “We …