A family was hiking in a Florida nature reserve. Then they got lost, and drones went up
A family had a scary experience Sunday while out for a relaxing Sunday hike.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the group set out into the Blackwater Creek Preserve, the 1,993-acre conservation area in Plant City, and got lost.
A drone was able to spot the five hikers from the sky at around 1 p.m. and help direct deputies on the ground, said the agency’s Facebook post, with footage of the rescue. You can see a truck approach the trail, where the group was discovered congregating on a path under a tree, and carry them out.
An sheriff’s office spokeswoman told the Miami Herald on Monday that the park visitors lost their way for roughly an hour in the heavily wooded area.
Highs were in lower 90s on Sunday in the area.
Earlier this month, Blackwater Creek Preserve reopened after a months-long lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Visitors are expected to maintain distances of at least six feet apart, limit group size to 50 or fewer people, and follow CDC regulations for the safety of all, according to the website.
