logo
Keep Colorado Wild Pass helps fund search and rescue drone conference

Keep Colorado Wild Pass helps fund search and rescue drone conference

Yahooa day ago

DENVER (KDVR) — Douglas County Search and Rescue partnered with Colorado Parks and Wildlife for the first-ever Rocky Mountain SAR UAS Conference, held May 31 at the Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Facility.
The event focused on search and rescue teams' usage of unmanned aerial systems, aka drones, during operations. The SAR team can use the tool to search large areas quickly, get an overhead look at a situation, scan the area using thermal cameras and communicate remotely with the people once located with a drone.
Parker police use drone to find child who didn't return from playground
It's something the Douglas County team is familiar with: In March, the Douglas County SAR was called to Roxborough State Park for two teenagers who got lost near Carpenter Peak. The team used drones to search for the teens and quickly located them after seeing a flashing light. Using the drone's technology, the team was able to have a family member communicate with the teenagers.
'From their standpoint, here they are lost in the wilderness, you know, you could hear dad coming over the speaker with some positive words of encouragement. I think it really uplifted their spirits,' drone lead Darren Keralla of DCSAR told FOX31's Kasia Kerridge. 'We can't receive audio, but we typically ask them if you're OK, give me a thumbs up, and they'll respond with a thumbs up. We can interpret a lot from their motions and what they're communicating back to us physically.'
The conference drew together over 60 drone professionals from over 25 agencies in Colorado, where they shared best practices and lessons learned.
'This event was an outstanding success,' said Brent Lounsbury, Emergency Management Coordinator for CPW, in a release. 'Douglas County SAR identified the need for an event where SAR UAS professionals could collaborate and learn from each other; it clearly hit the mark. We're really looking forward to this event coming around again next year, and it being an even larger success.'
Colorado's search and rescue teams are all staffed by volunteers, and CPW's Backcountry SAR program helps funnel funds from sales of the Keep Colorado Wild Pass, as well as hunting and fishing licenses, to search and rescue teams around the state. The pass costs $29 for Colorado residents and can be added to your vehicle registration.
CPW says clean boats make for happy lakes
CPW noted that modern drones have high-tech cameras and sensors that can provide inaccessible views for ground crews. The agency also uses drones for wildlife and land management.
'This conference allowed us to get everyone in a room, make contacts and share best practices. I particularly enjoyed the question and answer sessions after each presentation, where critical discussions and learning were exchanged peer-to-peer,' said Dave Miska, president of Douglas County SAR, in CPW's release.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Mysterious deaths of 15 cattle frustrate Colorado rancher, authorities: "They started flopping over and dying"
Mysterious deaths of 15 cattle frustrate Colorado rancher, authorities: "They started flopping over and dying"

CBS News

time12 hours ago

  • CBS News

Mysterious deaths of 15 cattle frustrate Colorado rancher, authorities: "They started flopping over and dying"

As much as she would like to forget it, May 8 remains an unforgettable day for Kerri Higgs at the XO Cattle Company in Colorado. She, a self-professed animal lover, and her rancher husband woke to find three of their cattle dead in Elbert County. There was no obvious cause or reason. That afternoon, as the couple brought the animals to an area closer to the house where they could be monitored, another dozen cattle fell. "They started flopping over and dying," Higgs said. "It was pretty bad." Kerri Higgs Fifteen animals were gone within one day. Five weeks later, no one can tell her why they died. "It's beyond frustrating." It's enough to make her question her profession. And also whether her emotional attachment to the animals is a wise one. "We don't want to do it anymore. Those cattle ... we were supposed to have them for 10 years." The dead are from a group of heifers -- first-time mothers who had recently calved or were about to. All of them home grown and raised. Some of their calves died, too. A local veterinarian arrived in time to watch the last animal pass. That was the one on which an on-site necropsy was performed. The vet did not take the whole carcass or the head for further testing. Blood tests have so far been inconclusive. More is being done by the state veterinarian's office, Higgs said. Two inches of rainfall fell in this rather arid area in the days immediately before the deaths. Rain formed pools of water which the animals drank from. So far, nothing has come out of testing. And, again, officials are running low on samples to test, per Higgs. Kerri Higgs Last week, personnel from Colorado Energy and Carbon Management came out out to the XO Cattle Company's property. They flew drones which measured the air for excess carbon emissions or materials from oil and gas production. They also took soil samples. So far, nothing. On Monday, people from Colorado State University's Extension Service planned to walk the pasture for any sign of noxious weeds. The animals that died were from a group of heifers -- first-time mothers who had recently calved or were about to. Some calves were among those that passed away. Thirteen survived but are now orphaned. Mykel Kroll of Fremont County's Office of Emergency Management said three different laboratories are still working on the possible cause or causes. "We're not getting any conclusive results. Everything is close to (acceptable health) limits. We're running out of boxes to check." He said the estimated loss to the operation is $5,000 per head. "We are all scratching our heads. Maybe we don't find out the cause," he empathized. "I like to help people. I like to get results. (But) we don't have anything. Are they're always answers? No." The Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment are also seeking answers, according to a CDA spokesperson. Higgs, however, accepts the possibility she may never know what killed the animals. "At this point, no. I won't be surprised. Somebody's dropped the ball, I don't know who." But she won't give up just yet. "We're going to keep going. It just stinks." An online fundraiser has been set up to help the family financially.

Small plane crashes into ocean off San Diego with 6 people aboard
Small plane crashes into ocean off San Diego with 6 people aboard

Associated Press

timea day ago

  • Associated Press

Small plane crashes into ocean off San Diego with 6 people aboard

Authorities are investigating after a small plane crashed into the ocean 5 miles (8 kilometers) off the coast near San Diego with six people aboard. U.S. Coast Guard officials said a debris field was discovered near Point Loma Sunday afternoon and began searching for the wreckage in an area where the water is about 200 feet (61 meters) deep. The Federal Aviation Administration said the twin-engine Cessna 414 crashed around 12:30 p.m. Sunday not long after it took off. Flight tracking website, showed that the plane was bound for Phoenix. The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA confirmed they are investigating the crash.

6 missing at sea after small plane crashes off San Diego
6 missing at sea after small plane crashes off San Diego

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

6 missing at sea after small plane crashes off San Diego

A search was underway Sunday night for six missing people after a small plane crashed in the ocean off of San Diego that afternoon, authorities said. The U.S. Coast Guard received a report at 12:45 p.m. that a twin-engine Cessna 414 had crashed around three miles west of Point Loma. A debris field was located off of the coast in an area where the water was estimated to be 200 feet deep, according to the Coast Guard. Multiple agencies worked together to scour the area for any survivors Sunday afternoon and evening. This included air and marine Coast Guard crews, air and marine Customs & Border Protection crews, San Diego Harbor Police boat crews and San Diego Lifeguard crews. No one had been found as of 11:30 p.m., Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Graves told The Times. The Coast Guard Cutter Sea Otter crew will remain on scene overnight to continue the search, and helicopter crews were set to rejoin the effort at first light, he said. Local resident Tyson Wislofsky witnessed the crash while surfing near Point Loma on Sunday afternoon. "I saw him come down at angle. He wasn't flying straight to the ground," Wislofsky told NBC4 News. "The next time he came out of the clouds, he went straight into the water. Full throttle." The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash. Information on the the identity of those missing was not immediately available. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store