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Drone saves missing 65-year-old climber in the Himalayas

Rick Allen had been missing for 36 hours, according to the BBC.

Daniel Van Boom Senior Writer
Daniel Van Boom is an award-winning Senior Writer based in Sydney, Australia. Daniel Van Boom covers cryptocurrency, NFTs, culture and global issues. When not writing, Daniel Van Boom practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, reads as much as he can, and speaks about himself in the third person.
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Camp 1 - Broad Peak

Climbers on the route up Broad Peak in the Himalayas. 

Bradley Jackson/Getty

Elon Musk's absurdly advanced submarine didn't help during the #ThaiCaveRescue, but let's not write off technology just yet.

Scottish climber Rick Allen was saved by a drone after he falling during a solo climb of Broad Peak mountain in the Himalayas, BBC reports. Allen's climbing bag was spotted by a base camp worker, prompting the drone to be sent out to successfully locate him, according to the publication. He was then rescued by Sherpas and other climbers.

The 65-year-old had been missing for 36 hours, the BBC said. At 26,401 feet (8,047 metres) above sea level, Broad Peak is the 12th highest mountain in the world.

Watch this: Watch a drone rescue two swimmers

It's not the first life that's been saved by a drone. Back in February, two swimmers in Australia were saved when a drone, piloted by a lifeguard, dropped a rescue pod as they struggled against the current. 

The drone that located Allen was piloted by two brothers, Andrzej and Bartek Bargiel, who flew it to an altitude of over 27,500 feet (8,400 metres), reports the Telegraph. Aside from cuts and minor frostbite, Allen was rescued without significant injury.