Rega uses thermal imaging to conduct rescue
Swiss rescue service Rega was able to utilise its thermal imaging capabilities in a rescue on 10 October.
Swiss rescue service Rega was able to utilise its thermal imaging capabilities in a rescue on 10 October.
Rega was notified by an acquaintance of a missing person that the man had not arrived at their agreed meeting place. He had missed the last train from the mountain station and so had decided to travel on foot through the valley.
With the missing person completely uncontactable by the operations centre, the mission leader decided to scramble a Rega helicopter equipped with an IR / EOS multisensor search system.
The system is able to be mounted on Rega aircraft pre-flight and contains a highly sensitive thermal imaging camera and optical sensors, and can be combined with a searchlight.
The Rega aircraft was able to quickly locate the man and was able to guide a mountain rescuer of the Swiss Alpine Club SAC to the hiker and lead him out of the valley to safety.