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The Shenandoah County Sheriff's Office tried to locate William Luther McDonnell of Winchester, Virginia, Saturday night, but could not find him in the darkness.
By Sunday morning, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office search and rescue team arrived, deployed the drone and the man was found about 20 minutes later - marking the first successful use of this technology since Loudoun County's Sheriff's Office implemented it in September.
The drone that ultimately located McDonnell is the first in Virginia, and sixth in the nation, to be equipped with a special antenna for participants of the Project Lifesaver program, designed to locate people with medical conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, that may cause them to wander from home, according to a news release. Program participants wear a wristband that emits an automatic locating signal that the drone, with the specific antenna, can pick up.
Though McDonnell was not in the program, the drone still located him, said Alex Kowalski, a spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. The technology, officially called a Small Unmanned Aircraft System and operated by licensed pilots, can carry infrared and high-resolution cameras, the news release states.
"This new technology allows our deputies to more efficiently search for missing people, especially those in the Project Lifesaver program, and bring them home safe. We are pleased we were able to assist Shenandoah County and safely return this man to his family," Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said in the release.
At about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, a family member called the Shenandoah County Sheriff's Office to let authorities know the 92-year-old McDonnell never returned to his car after deer hunting, said Shenandoah County Sheriff's Office Capt. Wes Dellinger.
"They were expecting him," Dellinger said. "He had called them and told them he would be a little while getting out and they went out there to wait for him, and as dark approached they realized he wasn't out."
The family was waiting at his car when they called authorities, Dellinger said. Units responded to the area, pinpointing McDonnell's last known location from a call he made to a family member before his phone died, Dellinger said.
Dellinger said about 20 to 30 people were on the ground, others in the command operation center, while a helicopter from Fairfax flew overhead and search dogs scoured the 4- to 5-square-mile area identified based on McDonnell's last phone call. Darkness hindered visibility and 16 hours later, he was still missing.
McDonnell said he didn't get lost, but instead called it a "misjudgment of terrain" and "misjudgment of time."
"All of a sudden it got dark on me. I couldn't see my hands in front of my face. I couldn't go forwards, I couldn't go backwards, I couldn't go left, I couldn't go right or any place," McDonnell said. "It was worse than the jungle."
Sunday morning, the Loudoun County search and rescue team arrived, launched the drone at 9:30 a.m. and around 9:50 a.m. the McDonnell was "visually located," according to the news release.
"This gentleman was prepared, but his devices and his equipment failed him," Dellinger said.
Dellinger said McDonnell let his family know where he was going, knew the area for "most of his life," packed additional food and wore hunting apparel, such as a heavy coat, hunting pants and a baseball hat. The temperatures were in the high 20s and low 30s during the time he was stuck in the woods, Dellinger said.
McDonnell said he stayed warm during the night because he was wearing appropriate clothing. He said he watched a chopper shine its light over him. He took off his baseball cap and waved, to no avail. As soon as it was daylight, McDonnell said he started to head back.
"I wish they had that drone out there at night, they could've found me," he said. "They didn't come out until the next morning and I was on my way back."
Searches are not uncommon for Dellinger's department, he said, given the hiking trails and forest property in the area. So for future hikers and hunters, Dellinger advises: "Plan for the worst, hope for the best."