Drone Operator Finds Puppy Lost in Deep Snow

A drone operator saved a lost puppy in upstate New York recently, when he was able to spot a heat signature in a field covered in deep snow.

Chad D Tavernia, who specializes in finding lost pets with his thermal drone in North Country Drone Search & Recovery, told Storyful that the pup, Aurora, escaped an electric fence perimeter and was lost somewhere in the deep snow for over 24 hours before being found.

Tavernia said he got a call from Aurora’s owner, Paul, and drove to Burke to start his search on January 11.

After 90 minutes of searching with no sign of Aurora, Tavernia expanded the search zone and detected a lone heat signature in a snow-covered field across a frozen river, he said.

“I GPS-marked her location and made a game plan for her owner to make an on-foot recovery,” Tavernia said.

Footage here shows the search and the eventual reunion of Aurora and her owner. Credit: North Country Drone Search & Recovery via Storyful

Video Transcript

Sir, sir.

You think you got I think I do.

Let me know what you think.

See that dot right there?

Yeah, she’s out in the field.

See that red dot?

Yeah, is that the trail, the ATV trail?

No, she’s, I’ll show you here.

I’m pretty sure this is her.

Oh yeah, that looks like that’s her, OK, so she is, looks like she’s cold.

She’s, uh, let me drop a pin on her.

We drop a pin on her.

OK, so she is.

Go up Pikeville Road, you know, go up Pikeville.

She’s on the left in a field.

So you go down, you go up Pikeville.

She’s gonna be on the left hand, you know, going up Pikeville.

She’s on the left-hand side of the road, um.

But that’s right, but she is good, if you want to get your, uh, get your cell phone.

Oh yeah.

Yeah Come on Come on, you want it?

Come on, here she come.

Come on, you want it.

It was Grandma.

Come on Laurie.

Come on baby.

Come on, you wanna.

Yeah, I get it.

Yeah Good Paul, I, I might have to come back for batteries, but just keep doing what you’re doing and don’t move, OK?

She will come to you.

She will, she will go to you.

Just, just stick with it, OK. Come on, buddy.

Come on.

Come here.

Come here, come here.

Yeah Yeah Have you Aurora Come here you little fool.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Come in.

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

I mean.

Come here, come here, here.

Come on.

It was.

Yeah Yeah.

Hang on.

Yeah, don’t, Paul, don’t approach her.

Paul, do not approach a dog.

You have to let her go to you, OK?

Just, just kneel down.

I have to come back for battery.

Just, OK, you got her, you got her, buddy.

Awesome.