MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
a division of the
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

Troop I Headquarters, P.O. Box 128, Rolla, Mo 65402


News Release

For further information please contact: Sergeant Dan Crain
573-368-2345
October 25, 2014
I10D14

EMPHASIS: Missing Hunter Located With Assistance Of Patrol Helicopter

On October 24, 2014, at approximately 9:45 pm, Troop I was requested by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department to assist in the search of a missing hunter, identified as a 54-year-old male, on U.S. Forest land in southwest Phelps County.

Upon arriving in the area, a trooper requested a Highway Patrol helicopter, equipped with a Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) thermal imaging device, to assist in the search. On October 25, 2014, at approximately 12:10 am, a FLIR equipped Patrol helicopter arrived and began an aerial search. Within 10 minutes the Patrol’s FLIR unit and the pilots were able to detect a flashing light in a thickly wooded area. The troopers manning the helicopter were then able to guide the searching officers to the missing hunter, who was found to have an injured ankle. It was learned that the light source picked up by the helicopter’s FLIR unit was merely a disposable lighter.
Responding agencies included the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, Missouri Department of Conservation, Edgar Springs Rural Fire Department, and the Phelps County Ambulance Service.

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