Specialist cops armed with a high-tech drone have been enlisted to help the search for a missing woman in the River Kelvin.
Two specially trained officers were spotted using a DJI M210 to scan the West End waterway to probe for any sign of the 59-year-old woman who entered the water last night (Wednesday).
Emergency crews were first alerted around 5.45pm on Wednesday night when two people were spotted in the water near Eldon Street.
A man was rushed to hospital for treatment after being rescued, and the reason the pair entered the water is unknown.
The trained drone officers from Police Scotland's Air Support Unit work as part of a wider search strategy involving helicopters, divers, and officers combing the ground along the riverbed.
The drone, also known as a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS), is kitted out with a sophisticated camera to help officers scan the water for traces of the missing woman.
A source told the Glasgow Times that the drone was one of the best tools at the force's disposal when it comes to missing person searches.
The high-powered digital zoom on the camera allows officers to closely examine large areas more efficiently than helicopters and the technology allows them to carry out searches for longer periods of time.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: "Around 5.45pm on Wednesday, 11 October 2023, we received a report of concern for two people in the water at the River Kelvin, near Eldon Street, Glasgow.
"Searches are ongoing for a 59-year-old woman who remains missing.
"A man was rescued by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital."
A spokesperson for the coastguard added: "HM Coastguard’s Greenock and Helensburgh Coastguard Rescue Teams assisted Police Scotland with a search of the Kelvin River yesterday (October 11), alongside the Coastguard helicopter from Prestwick, shortly after 6pm."
A statement from Police Scotland about its use of drone technology in missing person searches reads: "While conducting missing person searches our drones do not routinely record images or videos.
"Only if something is found that is relevant to the enquiry will images be recorded.
"It is the case that proportionally very few images or videos are recorded compared with the amount of time the drones are airborne."
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