A Montgomery County family’s beach vacation turned into a 36-hour search for their missing dog before infrared drone technology helped locate him in thick brush along Coastal Highway in Delaware.
Eric and Lauren Zolkiewicz, both longtime teachers at Wheaton High School, were vacationing with their family in Dewey Beach when their dog, Vinny, escaped from their motel while the family was at the boardwalk.
Vinny took off down Coastal Highway, reportedly running for miles before disappearing. After an extensive search failed to locate him, Eric returned home to Derwood with the couple’s boys while Lauren remained in Delaware to continue looking.
Lauren eventually contacted Chesapeake Thermal Drone Recovery, a company that uses drone-mounted infrared technology to assist in searches for missing animals.
The company searched a remote section of Coastal Highway, using thermal imaging to scan through thick brush where Vinny could not easily be seen from the road. After approximately an hour of searching, the drone team located him.
With Vinny’s location identified, Lauren worked with Delaware State Park Rangers to navigate the difficult terrain and reach him. After approximately 36 hours missing, Vinny was finally brought to safety and reunited with his family.
Vinny’s adventure left him with a fractured wrist, dehydration and infected bites, but according to the family, he is recovering and doing well.
