Technology is helping SAR teams save time and lives
Lifeseeker, the Airborne Mobile Phone Location System for Search and Rescue (SAR) missions that accurately locates missing persons through their mobile phones, maximizes missions in which every second counts
In SAR operations, time is of the essence. Lifeseeker helps rescue teams to quickly geolocate missing persons by turning their phones into emergency beacons. This way, operations can be more agile, reducing risks and optimizing resources. Lifeseeker has been designed to save lives, and it is doing it!
It can be used on both manned (helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft) and unmanned platforms (UAVs/drones). It allows SAR missions to be undertaken even under low or no visibility conditions, including night flights and avalanches. The system does not require collaboration from the missing person or network providers, and works in areas with or without cellular network signal.
Making a difference to lifesaving missions
The impact that Lifeseeker is having on Search and Rescue organizations is considerable, having played a role in around 60 successful rescues for more than 25 end users over the last few months, some of them in the first week of operation.
Most SAR teams start their rescue missions at the end of the day when it is already dark because that's when most disappearances are reported. In these cases where time is critical, Lifeseeker helps to locate the person in need with an average of less than an hour instead of several hours, or even days, that conventional missions can take. Furthermore, the device achieves an average location accuracy rate of less than 50 meters, reaching less than five meters in many cases.
An example of Lifeseeker’s performance in real operations is a recent mission that took place in the Italian Alps, where a hiker in distress called the emergency services after being injured. Since their initial call, the victim was unreachable by phone. The first responder was informed and started a visual search with the helicopter. After eight hours of unsuccessful searching, a Lifeseeker operator was requested and was able to locate the victim in less than 10 minutes.
Another success case is a mission in Germany where an elderly person suffering from dementia was reported missing by the family. The operator deployed Lifeseeker for the search mission and, in just 20 minutes, the victim was safely found and pinpointed to within five meters of their location.
More and more end users are choosing Lifeseeker to support their SAR missions. As one of Lifeseeker end users said: “In a SAR operation, every second counts, aided by the right technology.”