Published: October 27, 2009 10:06 am      

Eye in the sky: Unmanned drones used to search from air

The massive search held in Latimer County on Friday for a missing Eufaula-area family used everything from riders on horses and mules to more modern technology.

In additional to conventional aircraft, unmanned drones were also used to take photographs on the rugged and remote Panola Mountain area near Red Oak, where law enforcement officers with the Latimer County Sheriff’s Department found the family’s pick-up parked on Oct. 17.

The family, Bobby and Sherilynn Jamison and their 6-year-old daughter, Madyson, are now believed to have been missing since Oct. 7.

Searchers had hoped the drones, fitted with photographic equipment, might be able to capture an image of something that searchers on the ground might have missed.

“We used the drones and took hundreds of pictures,” said Latimer County Sheriff Israel Beauchamp.

“We came up with nothing.”

Beauchamp said the FBI and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation are helping with the case. More than 200 volunteers assisted with the massive search on Friday, including members of the Texas Equusearch Mounted Search and Recovery Team.

Also, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is providing assistance and already has Madyson Jamison’s photo and information up on its Web site.

“We’re chasing every lead,” Beauchamp said.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.