Abstract
Objective
This study explores the potential use of drones in searching for and locating victims
and of motorized transportation of search and rescue providers in a mountain environment
using a simulation model.
Methods
This prospective randomized simulation study was performed in order to compare two
different search and rescue techniques in searching for an unconscious victim on snow-covered
ground. In the control arm, the Classical Line Search Technique (CLT) was used, in
which the search is performed on foot and the victim is reached on foot. In the intervention
arm, the Drone-snowmobile Technique (DST) was used, the search being performed by
drone and the victim reached by snowmobile. The primary outcome of the study was the
comparison of the two search and rescue techniques in terms of first human contact
time.
Results
Twenty search and rescue operations were conducted in this study. Median time to arrival
at the mannequin was 57.3 min for CLT, compared to 8.9 min for DST. The median value of the total searched area was 88,322.0 m2 for CLT and 228,613.0 m2 for DST. The median area searched per minute was 1489.6 m2 for CLT and 32,979.9 m2 for DST (p < 0.01 for all comparisons).
Conclusions
In conclusion, a wider area can be searched faster by drone using DST compared to
the classical technique, and the victim can be located faster and reached earlier
with rescuers transported by snowmobile.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: September 15, 2017
Accepted:
September 14,
2017
Received in revised form:
September 13,
2017
Received:
July 31,
2017
Footnotes
☆Presented at a meeting: No.
☆☆Grant: No.
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
