Mountain rescuers have revealed how a cool new tech helped find the body of a hillwalker who had been missing in the Glen Coe area for almost seven weeks. Team members from the English Lake District offered their drone expertise to Glencoe Mountain Rescue team after extensive searches had failed to find Charles Kelly. Mr Kelly left his home in Tillicoultry on 6 September to go walking. He was reported missing to Police Scotland the following day.
Richard Warren of the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association said: “What followed was a massive effort, involving multiple MRTs, Coastguard helicopters, RAF MRTs, search dogs, drones and police cell-data analysis. Despite everyone’s hard work, Glencoe MRT had to scale back their operations after 10 days of searching, but they didn’t give up. They continued searching on their free days, but the difficult terrain and large area made it challenging for them.
The search efforts were focused around Beinn Mhic Chasgaig in Glen Etive, where they found Mr Kelly’s rucksack with food and clothing. During the later stages of the operation, Glencoe MRT was approached by the LDSAMRA drone group, who had developed some awesome new search software for drones. They wanted to test it out and offered to help with the search. The drone group met with Glencoe MRT and learned about their efforts and theories.
After waiting for a break in the weather, the LDSAMRA team, made up of members from Cockermouth MRT and Duddon and Furness MRT, headed to Glen Coe. They used special software to program a flight path into the drone and split up to search different areas of the valley. The ground was so rough and complex that it was still the most likely location for Mr Kelly.
On the morning of October 24, the team deployed with a member of Glencoe MRT. They used the drone to take photos of the area, overlapping them to ensure nothing was missed. The software then analyzed the photos, looking for anything unusual. One of the teams reported a potential find, and the other team confirmed the discovery of the body.
Glencoe MRT and the police were notified, and the team made their way to the location. They brought Mr Kelly’s body down from the mountain. The drone technology was a game-changer, allowing them to search areas that had already been covered by ground teams and helicopters. The difficult terrain had made it hard to spot the body, even when they were close by.
This case study shows the future of drone use in mountain rescue. The hope is that this new technology can save lives and bring closure to families. The drone technology, combined with the hard work of Glencoe MRT and other agencies, made this discovery possible. It’s a huge milestone in the development of drone searching.
The LDSAMRA drone teams, along with Glencoe MRT and all the other agencies involved, offer their condolences to Mr Kelly’s family.
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