A truck driver was reunited with his lost dog thanks to the help of a drone operator in Missouri this spring. 

Earlier this year, the truck driver and his dog, Buddy, were making a stop in Strafford, Missouri on their way to Joplin when Buddy ran out to play in the snow. Buddy soon ran off in all the excitement, and the truck driver could not get him back. The driver then had to head to Joplin, leaving his dog behind. 

The driver then posted to a Lost and Found Facebook page, and that’s when Charlie Barnes knew he had to help the trucker. 

“Buddy jumped out of the truck and was playing in the snow and then wouldn’t come back and he took off running. And the trucker could not stay. He had to go to Joplin,” Barnes explained to KY3. “Nick, our drone operator, got a drone up in the air and saw lots of footprints. We knew where he was.”

Buddy had camped out behind someone’s barn, so the team set out some food and a trap in hopes of catching him. Luckily, it worked very quickly. 

“About six and a half, seven hours later, we got a ding on the trap and he’s in the trap,” Barnes said. 

Barnes then drove Buddy to Joplin for a reunion with his trucker owner. He says the rescue wouldn’t have gone so smoothly if not for the drone operator.