Lost hiker’s 35mm camera helps rescue helicopter zero in on her location:

he Sheriff’s Office activated one of its helicopters and a K-9 unit, said KCSO spokeswoman Martha Dooley. Because of the heavy foliage, chopper pilot Tony Chamberlain was unable to rely on the Forward Looking Infrared device attached to a helicopter that detects body heat, Dooley said.

So Chamberlain switched to night-vision technology during the search, Dooley said.

Thomas said authorities told her to signal the passing KCSO chopper with her flashlight to alert the pilot of their location. But the batteries in the flashlight were failing.

That’s when Thomas resorted to the 35mm camera she had bought at a rummage sale. She knew it had good batteries and kept aiming its flash at the helicopter.

“He (Chamberlain) said it just lit up their night vision goggles,” Dooley said.

See, I just take my camera along as a rescue device and take all those pictures to make sure the battery’s still charged.