Police use heat-seeking drone to find missing man in ditch

♦ A heat-seeking police drone saved the life of a freezing driver spotted lying in a ditch.

The man had crashed his car during sub-zero temperatures on an A-road near Ludborough, Lincs, early yesterday.

Police were called at 2.20am by a member of the public who found the overturned vehicle.

The passer-by spoke to the driver, but he walked off from the scene.

After a search failed to find the man, police sent up a thermal-imaging drone. It managed to locate the victim, who was suffering from hypothermia.

The man had fallen into a ditch 500ft away from his car, which was on its side, on the A16.

The man was taken to hospital for treatment.

Sgt Mike Templeman, from Lincolnshire Police, said the man was found “unresponsive and hypothermic”.

He wrote on Twitter: “Great result and life possibly saved!”