AI Locates Missing Hiker's Helmet After Nearly a Year
In a remarkable display of technological prowess, an artificial intelligence system has been credited with locating the body of a hiker missing for nearly a year in the Italian Alps. The discovery, made by the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps (CNSAS), highlights the transformative potential of AI in search and rescue operations, drastically cutting down the time required for critical analysis.
The search for 64-year-old Ligurian doctor Nicola Ivaldo, who disappeared in September 2024, concluded on Thursday, July 31, more than ten months later. His body was found on the challenging north face of Monviso, the highest peak in the Cottian Alps, at an altitude of approximately 3,150 meters. The breakthrough came when AI software, analyzing drone imagery, identified his helmet, which stood out distinctly against the rugged mountain landscape.
According to Saverio Isola, a CNSAS drone pilot who participated in the operation with his colleague Giorgio Viana, the entire mission—including the extensive search, the discovery, subsequent recovery, and accounting for a stoppage due to bad weather—was completed in less than three days.
The efficiency of the AI system was central to this success. On the morning of Tuesday, July 29, the rescue team collected all necessary images within five hours using just two drones. These approximately 2,600 frames, taken from about 50 meters away, were then processed by the AI software that same afternoon. By evening, rescuers had a series of "suspicious spots" to investigate. Operations were only delayed by fog and adverse weather conditions the following day.
Isola recounted the verification process: "We woke up at 4 am to reach a very distant point with good visibility on the channel where the red pixels had been detected, and we used the drone to see if it was indeed the helmet." Once confirmed, photos and measurements were sent to the rescue coordination center, enabling the Fire Brigade helicopter to be dispatched for recovery and police operations. Ivaldo's body was located 600 meters below the summit, in the rightmost of three ravines above a hanging glacier.
Every drone operation conducted by CNSAS adheres to a rigorous methodology developed in coordination with ENAC, Italy's national civil aviation agency. CNSAS has utilized drones for about five years and has been integrating color and shape recognition technologies, including the AI system, for approximately 18 months, continuously refining them. However, Isola emphasizes that this technology is only effective when paired with skilled human teams.
The initial information from Ivaldo's cell phone proved invaluable, and the drone pilots were guided by the extensive experience and knowledge of four expert mountain rescuers. "It's a human achievement, but without technology, it would have been an impossible mission. It's a team success," Isola affirmed. He and his fellow CNSAS pilots understand the critical role technology plays when applied correctly.
Isola cited previous successes, such as the recovery operations following the Marmolada Glacier tragedy, where technology enabled rescuers to operate safely in inaccessible areas and recover vital artifacts. CNSAS aims to further integrate artificial intelligence and drones to mitigate the most severe consequences of mountain accidents and save lives. This combination can also leverage thermal imaging cameras, which detect heat signatures from living beings.
"Just like with still images, AI is also able to interpret thermal data and provide valuable information in just a few hours," Isola noted. He shared an example from Sardinia where a colleague rescued climbers whose ropes were stuck, locating them solely with drone technology, including some converted wartime technologies. The hope is that the increasing adoption of such advanced methods will drastically reduce fatal mountain accidents in mountainous terrains.