Google Earth Saves A Life
I’m always looking for articles people write explaining how they’ve used Google Earth for some interesting or unique purpose that I hadn’t considered, or maybe one I had considered, but hadn’t found much evidence of.
Specifically I’ve wondered about Google Earth’s use in rescue missions…fire fighting, avalanches, whatever. I assumed it would be a really helpful tool for this, and as it turns out I found an article just today!
On March 1st, a man in Delaware was on some sort of goose hunting trip, in a boat, when high winds capsized his boat and he was left stranded in a marsh. Fortunately, his cell phone wasn’t soaked and he was able to call 911. From that point the rescue team used Google Earth to locate the man very rapidly. The entire article can be found here.
This was a very exciting article to me, because it’s such a positive article that clearly shows at least one government organizations’ awareness of the value of this technology in the quest for saving lives. So much of this technology is passed off as amusing entertainment. But there are always ways to implement technology to make the planet a better place. Big props to the Delaware Fish and Wildlife officials who saved this man’s life, and the entire team who located the man using the most advanced tools they could find.
Technorati Tags: delaware division of fish and wildlife, wboc