In a remarkable rescue operation, a 10-year-old girl named Peyton Saintignan was found safe by a drone operator using thermal imaging technology after she sleepwalked into dense woods near Shreveport, Louisiana. The incident occurred around 10 p.m. on September 14, when Peyton wandered approximately 1.5 miles from her home.
The search for Peyton proved challenging due to the thick and dense nature of the woods. A trail camera used by hunters captured an image of the girl after she vanished, providing a crucial lead for the search party.
ABC reports that the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, and hundreds of volunteers collaborated in the search efforts. Law enforcement played a vital role in coordinating the operation and setting up the drone team.
Josh Klober, a drone operator from Drone Management Services LLC, traveled about 40 miles from Arkansas to assist in the search. His drone, equipped with thermal imaging capabilities, located Peyton within 20 minutes of deployment. The thermal imaging technology was instrumental in spotting the girl, who was curled up on the ground and not moving, despite the dense foliage according to NYPost.
When found, Peyton was wearing purple and white pajamas and was unharmed, except for some mosquito bites. First responders and Child Protective Services conducted checks on the girl before she was returned home safely.
“We saw the purple and white pajamas that she had been wearing,” Klober said.
“She was laying there. She wasn’t moving and everybody was just kind of holding their breath.”
Peyton’s family reported that she was a known sleepwalker but had never left the house before. Sleepwalking is more common among children, and most outgrow it by their teenage years. If one parent has a history of sleepwalking, the child has a 47% chance of also experiencing it, increasing to 62% if both parents have a history of sleepwalking.
Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker described the rescue as “truly a miracle” and expressed relief that Peyton was found unharmed. The girl’s family was overjoyed to have her back home safely.
Besides genetics, sleepwalking can be triggered by factors such as stress, sleep deprivation, sleep schedule disruptions, brain-related diseases, and certain medications like Ambien and Lopressor.
The successful use of drone technology in this search and rescue operation highlights its potential for future life-saving missions. As technology advances, drones equipped with thermal imaging and other specialized features may become increasingly valuable tools for locating missing persons in challenging environments.
