Drone
A drone spotted a missing 81-year-old in a cornfield. A drone is pictured on Sept. 5, 2015. in Old Bethpage, New York. Getty Images

An 81-year-old woman with dementia who was reported missing in North Carolina has been located by a sheriff’s drone. Mary Brown, 81, said she became confused after she strolled to a nearby river.

Officer Adam Krolfifer of the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office used the police-issued drone to locate Brown just 25 minutes after receiving the report. Police discovered her Sunday morning in a cornfield hundreds of feet from her home in Asheboro, North Carolina.

"[The cornfield] ain't too far, I went a long way from there. I went to the river and then backtracked," Brown told CBS-affiliate WFMY News.

The Randolph County Sheriff's Office has had the drone for a little over a month, and it has proven to be a resourceful tool. In that time, police have used it to document two homicide cases and capture a suspect who ran off during a drug test.

The sheriff's office started the drone program to help with certain cases in the community. Randolph County Sheriff Robert A. Graves praised the new initiative. The office said it plans to equip the drone with infrared capabilities so that it can locate individuals more accurately with heat signatures.

"The Drone program at the Sheriff’s Office is one of our newest projects and one more project in our effort of going from "Good to Great" in professional community service," Graves said in a Facebook post of the drone rescue. "I am thankful to hear the good news of the safe return of the missing person. The family expressed their gratitude for the quick response. I am very proud of all of our team in making this safe return. Keep up the great work!"

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