Drone Pilot Reunites Missing Dog with Owner After Mississippi Tornado

In Tylertown, Mississippi, a drone pilot’s determination brought a missing dog back to his owner ten days after a tornado demolished their home. Curtis Bush had lost both his house and his 11-year-old Lab mix, Linus, until Jason Miller used his drone to locate the pooch, offering a rare bright spot in a disaster, as reported by Inside Edition.

Disaster and Desperation As Tornado Tears Through Tylertown

In March of this year, a tornado struck Tylertown, roughly 90 miles northeast of New Orleans, reducing Curtis Bush’s home to debris. In the storm’s aftermath, his beloved Linus vanished. “He’s been with me through everything,” Bush said, devastated by the double loss. After ten days of fruitless ground searches, hope was waning.

A Drone Takes Flight

Jason Miller, a drone operator with over 500 hours of flight experience, joined the effort with his DJI Matrice 30, a model boasting a thermal camera and a 41-minute flight time. Facing dense woods and scattered wreckage, he admitted, “It’s gonna be really hard to see in that.” Still, he pressed on, muttering, “Please let me find his dog,” as he swept the 12-square-mile area from 200 feet up.

The Rescue

On April 5, Miller’s persistence paid off. The drone’s feed revealed a limping figure 2 miles from Bush’s property. “Oh, my gosh. Is that him?” Miller exclaimed, zooming in on the black-and-tan Lab mix. “You bet it is!” he confirmed, ecstatic. He called Bush immediately: “I found him! I found him, buddy!” Bush, stunned, replied, “You found him?”

A Joyful Reunion

Guided to the location, Bush found Linus alive, thin but eager. “It was just exhilarating to see him coming to me and that he wasn’t badly injured,” Bush said as Linus romped around. A vet later confirmed a minor sprain but no serious harm. Miller, reflecting on the moment, said, “The emotion you saw on film—I actually broke down and started crying—was real.”

Drone Tech in Action

Miller’s success underscores drones’ value beyond hobbyist use. The Matrice 30 proved its worth in navigating tough terrain fast. While the FAA regulates such flights—requiring line-of-sight and a 400-foot ceiling under recreational rules—no restrictions hampered this mission, per recent updates.

Linus’s rescue is a testament to how drones can turn despair into relief. For Bush, it’s a lifeline restored; for Miller, it’s proof of what skill and tech can achieve. As drones grow more common, expect more tales of everyday heroics.

You can read more stories about how drones are being used for good right here on DroneXL.

Photos courtesy of Jason Miller / Inside Edition.