It’s not always suspects involved in criminal activity the Saskatoon Police Service Air Support Unit is looking for.

April 1st the police ASU was deployed at the request of Warman RCMP to help in the search an 86-year-old man in the Borden area.

The video from Air1 shows the senior waving to get the attention of the plane and slowly pushing himself out of the snow using sticks.

Warman RCMP say they called in Saskatoon Police Service’s Air Support Unit on April 1st after receiving a report of a vulnerable person possibly needing assistance.

They say a vehicle became stuck in the snow in Borden and a witness saw the driver, a senior, walk away from the vehicle without wearing proper winter clothing or boots. When he did not immediately return to it, the witness became concerned for his safety and called police.

Warman RCMP immediately began searching for the senior and knowing it was getting dark and colder, enlisted the aid of SPSAir1.

Saskatoon Police Service’s plane spotted the man two hours after he was first reported missing, approximately 2.5 kilometres from his vehicle. He had walked through snowy terrain, including fields. The air support unit directed officers on the ground to the 86-year-old man who was cold but not hurt. He was reunited with his family.

Staff Sergeant Jason Teniuk with the Warman RCMP says, “We’re thankful our partners at Saskatoon Police Service were able to join our search for this male. We knew time was of the essence and aerial searches are an invaluable tool that allow us to search a large area in a short amount of time. We were able to locate this male and return him to warmth and safety quite quickly.”

Saskatoon Police Service Air One video can be seen here (video credit: Twitter SPSAir1)