Mountain Rescue teams have deployed drones and AI technology in the search for a missing hillwalker who was last seen 10 months ago.
Mountain Rescue teams have deployed drones in the ongoing search for a missing man who was last seen 10 months ago. Ian Ross was reported missing in September last year.
The search intensified for the 65 year old hillwalker after his car was found parked at Beinn Alligin, Torridon, in the Highlands. Drones and AI technology are now being utilised by specialists in an effort to locate Ian, from Dingwall.
Rescue teams from Torridon, Dundonnell, Kintail, Galloway, and Tweed Valley, along with the Search and Rescue Aerial Association, have converged on Beinn Dearg mountain.
The Torridon Mountain Rescue Team shared on Facebook: “Last Friday evening saw the team host SARAA – Search and Rescue Aerial Association Scotland at our base for a joint demo with Dundonnell Mountain Rescue Team and @kintailmrt. Covering everything from hardware to pilot training and AI detection, it was exciting to see the potential these technologies have to assist what we do in Mountain Rescue.
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“Over the weekend, SARAA pilots, supported by our team, deployed across the Beinn Dearg area to continue the search for the body of Ian Ross, who has been missing since September 2024 A huge amount of complex terrain was analysed in real time and in post processing AI software to try and identify any visual anomalies that would prompt a ground search.
“A huge thanks to SARAA members for coming up to Torridon, with their pilots coming from as far away as Galloway Mountain Rescue Team and Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team – we’re very grateful for your support. All this work is funded entirely by donations, and carried out by volunteers.”
The SARAA – Search and Rescue Aerial Association – also shared details on social media about the operation, reports the Daily Record.
The post said: “A number of our pilots from Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team, Ochils Mountain Rescue Team, Oban Mountain Rescue Team, Galloway Mountain Rescue Team and Scottish Cave Rescue Organisation along with Torridon Mountain Rescue Team members recently carried out a multi-day drone search for a long term missing person over a wide, complex and mountainous area. A range of drones, AI and visual recognition software systems were used in the search.”
When making an appeal for information on Ian last year, Police Scotland said: “We are appealing for information to help trace Ian Ross, 65, who is missing from Dingwall.
“Mr Ross’ family became concerned after not being able to contact him and reported him missing to police on Tuesday, 17 September 2024. Officers searching for him traced his car to the car park of Beinn Alligin, Torridon, on Wednesday, 18 September.”
Ian is described as being 5ft 9ins tall, white, with wavy grey hair, and he is said to be of slim build. Officers do not know what he was wearing when he disappeared. Sergeant Duncan Birse, from Dingwall Police Station, stated: “Mr Ross was last in contact with his family on Sunday, 8 September. He regularly communicates with his family and when they hadn’t heard from him for a week, they alerted the police.
“He is an avid hill-walker, and given the location where his car was discovered, we have skilled officers along with colleagues from local mountain rescue teams searching Beinn Alligin and the surrounding areas in an attempt to locate him. We would urge anyone who may have seen Mr Ross since Sunday, 8 September, or his grey Dacia Duster car to come forward. Information can be relayed to officers via 101. Please quote incident number 2381 of Tuesday, 17 September 2024 when calling.”
In their posts on social media, both Torridon Mountain Rescue Team and the Search and Rescue Aerial Association mentioned that they rely on donations. Anyone wishing to contribute can do so via their Facebook pages.