A 10-year-old girl who got lost in a dense forest after sleepwalking out of her home was found more than 24 hours later thanks to images captured by a drone.
Peyton Saintignan, 10, went missing from her home near Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, around 10 PM on September 14. Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker said that when his office was notified, “family and neighbors had been searching for her for about an hour.” They then launched a search involving the Louisiana State Police and hundreds of volunteers.
Peyton Saintignan was found safe after sleepwalking into the Louisiana forest.
An infrared camera used by a hunter in the deep forest captured an image of Peyton. This helped the search team narrow down her location. However, it wasn’t until drone operator Josh Klober joined the search that Peyton was found.
Traveling 40 miles (64.4 km) from his home in Arkansas, Josh Klober arrived at the scene the next day with a drone capable of thermal imaging. About 20 minutes after the drone took off, he quickly located Peyton curled up on the ground in the dense forest.
“We saw the purple and white pajamas she was wearing. Peyton was lying there. She wasn’t moving, and everyone held their breath,” Klober said.
Officials then dispatched rescuers to her location. A few minutes later, around 11 PM, the sleepwalking child was awakened by the father of her best friend and brought to safety.
When found, Peyton had walked 2 miles (3.2 km) from her home. Sheriff Parker said it was “truly a miracle” that she was unharmed when found.
Peyton Saintignan was discovered in the deep forest by a drone.
“Aside from some mosquito bites, she was completely healthy,” he said.
Local medical staff and Child Protective Services checked her health before she returned home. Peyton’s family told the police that she often sleepwalked but had never left the house before.
“She was very happy to be back with her loved ones, very happy to be home,” the sheriff added.
There are many causes and factors leading to sleepwalking. However, researchers believe that genetics may play a significant role. Children are more prone to sleepwalking than adults, and most children outgrow sleepwalking by adolescence.
