Drone used to locate a missing 12-year-old in Duluth

Duluth police say a drone was used to locate a missing student near the Stowe School on Wednesday. According to a release from the Duluth Police Department, a report came in of a 12-year-old girl who said they were going to run away near the 500 block of W Stowe Street of Gary New Duluth neighborhood.

Officers were notified by school officials that the missing youth was not a student at Stowe Elementary.

Once officers arrived a member of the Drone Unit launched a drone and located the 12-year-old in a wooded area and officers were able to find her based on the information from the Drone Unit. The girl was transported to a local hospital for an evaluation.

Authorities say this type of a call showcases the public safety benefits of utilizing new technology. The DPD says deployment of this drone greatly increased the speed and efficiency of locating this child safely.