Last Friday, a new helicopter from the Gwinnett County Police Aviation Unit tested out upgraded features as pilots helped rescue a Gainesville man.
Cpl. Collin Flynn said the man, who is in his 40's, was last seen at 7:30 a.m. Friday, April 17 by family members. They became worried and contacted the Hall County Sheriff's Office.
"The male had recently moved from Florida and was taking prescription medication, and the family was just concerned he had not been seen for several hours," said Flynn. He said it was shortly after noon when Hall County contacted them.
The helicopter is a MD 530F, Flynn said. It includes some upgraded features, like a PA system.
"So when we're flying low above the ground, we can make announcements to people on the ground," Flynn said.
And those announcements are exactly what helped the man head back homewards. Flynn said the man was stuck in a wooded area about a mile from his Gainesville residence.
"The PA system is not something we have had in Gwinnett County and this technology is something we have wanted because it gives the helicopter the opportunity to communicate with people who are on the ground," said Flynn. "Not just officers, but in this case they used that technology to find a man that was missing. Without that ability to use the PA system to call down to him, he may have had no idea why the helicopter was there in the first place, looking for him."
While this isn't the first run for the new chopper, it is the first significant incident in which the helicopter made a noteworthy find.
