Hikers lost in Kosciuszko national park rescued within five hours by AI drone

Two hikers who veered off a walking track in Kosciuszko national park have been found within five hours using a drone powered by artificial intelligence, a first-of-its-kind mission, Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has said. The two men, aged in their 20s, were reported missing at 7pm on Tuesday evening after they failed to return to a rendezvous point on time. FRNSW’s remote air piloted system was put into the air, and was able to use thermal imaging to find the hikers who had been walking the Dead Horse Gap track, about 35km south-west of Jindabyne. At the same time, the hikers used a red light on a mobile phone to attract the drone in the dark. The drone’s built-in speaker was able to contact the hikers, and the drone’s spotlight was used to direct rescuers on the ground to the hikers, in order to guide them out of the park. The pair was found about half a kilometre off the track. A screengrab from video of the search and rescue operation in Kosciuszko national park. Composite: Fire and Rescue NSW In cold conditions, the men were rescued less than five hours after being reported missing. They were suffering mild effects of exposure but told rescuers they did not need medical treatment. The incident was the first time the FRNSW drone’s AI detection system had been used to rescue missing people. The Fire and Rescue inspector and regional duty commander for the NSW Alpine area, Phillip Eberle, told the ABC the technology potentially reduced the search time by several days. …