Summit County team drops flashlight by drone to stranded Quandary Peak hiker

A Summit County deputy flew a thermal-imaging drone to find a stranded 19-year-old hiker on Quandary Peak and dropped a flashlight to him as a snowstorm moved in and night fell. The makeshift delivery gave the hiker a usable light source, helped him regain his bearings and allowed rescue teams to locate and escort him down the trail to safety.

Brian Binge, incident commander with Summit County Rescue Group, said the call came in for an overdue hiker who was not explicitly requesting help. "The call was for an overdue hiker that wasn't requesting help yet," Binge said, explaining why crews decided to respond as weather deteriorated. Binge described the conditions: "It was pitch black, and it was snowing decently." He estimated operations were taking place "probably around 9 p.m."

Summit County Sheriff’s Office footage shows the hiker waving toward the drone, and the deputy operating the aircraft delivered a flashlight to the slope below him. "The deputy located the hiker and dropped a flashlight to him from a drone," the sheriff’s office wrote in its social post. The sheriff’s office added that the light guided the hiker back to the trail and aided crews in locating him quickly, resulting in a safe outcome.

Binge said the drone had night vision and thermal imaging, and that the crew could see the hiker waving on thermal before attempting the drop. He estimated the light landed about 50 to 100 feet from the hiker. "We'd never done it before, but we said, 'Let's see if we can drop a light on top of this guy's location,'" Binge said. "And it worked." After finding the trail, the hiker met rescue personnel and was reunited with his grandparents. "He got home safe and sound. Everything was great," Binge added.

Accounts indicate the hiker had been relying on a phone flashlight and that the battery was nearly drained, which left him without a dependable light source as night closed in. Binge also said the hiker "just happened to forget a couple of extra things" including "an extra light source, extra food [and] extra water."

For climbers and local outdoor groups, the episode is a clear reminder of basic backcountry prep: carry a headlamp, spare batteries, food and water, and keep family or friends informed of plans on 14ers. It also highlights a developing tool in mountain rescue: thermal-equipped drones can locate people in low visibility and, in some cases, deliver lightweight gear to buy time. Summit County rescue leaders called this their first time dropping a light by drone, and crews may refine how and when to use that tactic going forward as teams balance innovation with safety protocols.