A drone came in handy for a man whose vehicle became stuck in the snow while on a remote road in the Willamette National Forest in Oregon.
According to the Lane County Sheriff's Search and Rescue team, the area has spotty cell phone service and the man was unable to get a signal.
"Making his situation worse, his family was out of the country and nobody knew where he had gone or to call for help if he didn’t make it home," officials stated.
Drones are being tested to deliver AEDs to cardiac arrest emergencies
Sweden is one of the first places to develop an AED drone delivery program, and over the span of four months, they made 11 deliveries.
The man reportedly attached his phone to the drone, typed a text message to a person describing his situation and exact location, then launched the drone into the air.
"The increased elevation allowed his phone to connect to a tower and send the message, which resulted in our teams being deployed and assisting him out of his situation," the Lane County Sheriff's Search and Rescue team stated.
The man's ingenuity didn't just lead to his rescue — officials said while they were rescuing him, they found another stranded motorist who had been stuck in the snow for multiple days.
Despite a positive outcome in both situations, officials are warning people against traveling on roads that are not maintained for winter travel.
