This video shows the moment North Wales Police used a drone to find a missing pensioner - and his family said he didn’t stand a chance without it.

Roy Giblin, 82, had been missing for almost 24 hours when he was found with a DJI M300 RTK drone and H20T camera. The zoom, in particular, proved useful.

The search had involved foot patrols and the police helicopter, but it was the drone - flying close to the ground - was able to locate Mr Giblin in an overgrown grassy area.

Mountain rescue teams are benefiting from drones.

A case in point is Lochaber, Scotland’s busiest mountain rescue team, which covers the UK’s highest peak, Ben Nevis.

Deploying drones in such a hostile environment has the following benefits:

• 50% quicker than traditional search methods
• Requires less crew members for certain missions: The drone can do a quick spot check instead of sending out a large contingent on foot
• Widens the search area and provides an overview of the scene
• Overhead inspections of areas of concern, including avalanche sites and cornices
• Keep tabs on crew members once they have embarked on a rescue: Where they are and conditions around them
• Drone mapping to build 3D models of a rescue area: Particularly effective if the team is not familiar with the area.

Devon and Cornwall Police Test Payloads

New purpose-built spotlight and speaker payloads are available to assist search and rescue teams with their missions.

Watch Devon and Cornwall Police test out the drone loudspeaker payload with the Matrice 300 RTK.