By Adam Dutton and Daniel Jaines via SWNS
A lost dog which ran off from a car crash was reunited with its owner following a three hour search after being found hiding in a dark field by a thermal police drone.
The small Corgi, named Bea, bolted from the scene in fear after her owners were involved in a smash at around 4.30 p.m. on Friday (1/11).
Emergency services were called to the A1 near Little Ponton, Lincs., to find luckily nobody was seriously injured in the collision, which involved three vehicles.
Firefighters then decided to focus on finding Bea, who had scarpered away in the aftermath of the crash into the darkness.
When fire crews had no luck, Lincolnshire Police’s Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT) stepped in with its drone technology – with a little help from Facebook users.
A post on a lost pets Facebook group reported a sighting at Spittlegate Level Crossing, so officers quickly relocated there.
Using a thermal camera, officers combed nearby fields and spotted Bea’s heat signature after a three-hour search.
A local couple joined the hunt and eventually Bea’s owner waded through a field to coax the cowering Corgi safely back to them.
Photographs show the moment drone operators were able to locate the runaway pooch before she was reunited with her grateful owners.
The RCAT shared details of the unusual call out on social media and said the drone which they had recently seized from convicted hare coursers had proved invaluable.
They said: “Bea escaped from a car following a three vehicle collision on the A1 near Grantham. She then ran off.
“Fire and rescue trawled the area but had to give up due to other commitments leaving local police response officers from Grantham and one of our team drone pilots to continue.
“A three hour old bit of info on the Grantham lost pets Facebook group was passed over.
“A sighting was posted and after relocating to Spittlegate level [we] met up with another local lady and her husband who came out to help search.
“There was a sighting within minutes on an RCAT thermal imager. Funnily enough, one that had been recently forfeited from hare coursers.
“Cheers lads! Keeping the countryside lit with your kit!! You keep bringing them. We will keep seizing them.
“The drone was launched once more and one of the owners set off across the field to try and call back Bea who was obviously terrified.
“Some encouraging words and advice. Such as lie down (in the soil in the field) and talk to her had the desired effect.
“One slightly dirty owner and a heartfelt reunion of a clearly beloved and beautiful pooch. We so love a happy ending.”
