Lakewood police used a drone to save the life of a drunk teenager

DENVER (KDVR) — A little over a month ago, Lakewood Police agents resuscitated an intoxicated teenager who had stopped breathing.

Police said the teenager probably would not have survived if it weren’t for the technical assistance, especially a drone that was used in the search.

The incident occurred on May 10. Shortly before 9 p.m., agents responded to a 911 call regarding a “group of intoxicated juveniles” near Colorado Mills Mall.

One of the teens told agents that one of their friends, a teenager who was “very drunk,” had left and was missing.

The teenagers showed the officers the place where their friend had left.

“They pointed to a large open field with no lighting, just a pitch black open area,” Lakewood police said in a post on Facebook.

That’s when life-saving technology came in handy. LPD said Agent Bacon requested a drone pilot to the scene and Agent Taylor quickly responded with the drone.

The drone was equipped with an infrared camera to see in the dark. Using the camera, Agent Taylor spotted “what appeared to be a small person lying in the bushes.”

Taylor sent more agents to the teenager, who was not breathing.

They immediately began CPR on the child and placed the teenager in the recovery position. LPD said the measures “gave a little boy a second chance at life.”

Lakewood police said their drone team, launched in 2018, has assisted in many areas, including search and rescue operations, locating evidence, documenting traffic accidents and crime scenes, locating suspects and victims, providing situational intelligence to other officers and collaborating with the SWAT team on tactical operations.

“Without the use of the drone in this operation, agents may not have been able to find the teenager in time to save his life,” police said.