Family of 7 rescued from sinking boat with help of bystander’s drone, Utah cops say

A bystander sacrificed his drone to help rescue a family of seven from a sinking boat, Utah sheriff’s officials reported.

Deputies arrived at Utah Lake to look for the family at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, after receiving a 911 call, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

A man preparing to launch a drone at a marina agreed to use it to help look for the family since deputies didn’t have an exact position, officials said.

The man located the family, which included two toddlers ages 2 and 3, in the water and gave rescuers the GPS coordinates, deputies said.

Rescuers and other boaters retrieved the family and towed the boat to the marina, deputies said.

The drone’s batteries ran out after the owner disabled the auto-return function to monitor the rescue, and it crashed into the lake, deputies said.

Officials said the rescue could have taken an hour or more longer without his help, putting the family at risk for hypothermia.

Deputies also credited the family for having and wearing life jackets for the successful rescue.

Utah Lake is about a 40-mile drive south from Salt Lake City.

This story was originally published August 5, 2024 at 10:05 AM with the headline "Family of 7 rescued from sinking boat with help of bystander’s drone, Utah cops say."