Drone helps locate vulnerable woman in Gravesend

A Kent Police drone pilot, working in unison with constables from the Gravesham Local Policing Team, helped safely locate a vulnerable woman.

Close to midnight on 30 April 2022, the force’s control room received a call which stated a lone female had been seen walking through a Gravesend industrial site before tracing through uneven mounds of sand.

The woman was walking towards a river and was in danger of becoming seriously injured, either through falling or inadvertently stepping into the water.

A patrol was dispatched to look for her but the sheer scale of the search site, combined with it being pitch black and the ground being uneven, made it difficult to complete enquiries on the ground.

Assistance was therefore provided by PC Andy Green – an officer usually based in the Roads Policing Unit who is also a qualified drone pilot.

Using a thermal camera, the drone was quickly able to locate the woman and guided officers towards her.

She was subsequently found in a confused state and it was established she had got lost while trying to get home.

After completing welfare checks, the woman was taken home. She had not sustained any injuries.

PC Green said: ‘The drone was of vital importance in safely locating this woman, who was in serious danger of getting hurt.

‘We were able to quickly get it in the air and the real time information we were able to relay to officers completing ground searches meant they were able to safely find her.’