New details have emerged about how Paws Patrol LV’s thermal imaging drone was destroyed during a nighttime search for an injured dog on the east side of the Las Vegas Valley, reports Fox5 Las Vegas.
People living in the wash where the search was taking place knocked the drone out of the sky because they believed they were being watched.
The rescue group says the drone was smashed and thrown into the water. A volunteer waded into knee-deep water to retrieve the device, which was recovered with broken arms, a ripped-off camera, and a missing battery.
Volunteers have since returned to the wash to continue looking for the injured dog. As of this week, the dog has not been found.
We first reported the drone’s destruction earlier this week. At the time, the circumstances behind the incident had not been made public.
The search began when volunteers responded to an emergency call near Hollywood Boulevard and Desert Inn Road.
The dog had been struck by a vehicle, and volunteers spotted it limping before it disappeared into thick brush along a nearby wash.
Foot searches with flashlights failed because of the dense vegetation.
That is when the team launched its thermal drone, which detects an animal’s heat signature and has previously located dogs in washes, desert terrain, and other areas hidden from human view.
Volunteers reported hearing voices, yelling, and the sound of smashing plastic shortly before the drone disappeared from the sky.
The group believes the people responsible live in the wash and mistook the search operation for surveillance.
The loss is a serious setback for a team that depends on thermal imaging for its most difficult cases. Paws Patrol LV is asking for public help as it works to replace the drone.
Readers who want to learn more about the team can read our earlier feature on their search and rescue work.
Dog owners in the area of Hollywood Boulevard and Desert Inn Road are asked to keep an eye out for an injured dog near the wash. Anyone who spots the dog should contact Paws Patrol LV rather than approach, since injured animals can bolt, hide, or bite when frightened.
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