10-year-old who went missing in woods found with help of thermal imaging drone

By Yi-Jin Yu

A 10-year-old girl who went missing in the woods of Louisiana was found safely and is now back home with her family, thanks to the help of a thermal imaging drone.

Peyton Saintignan went missing at about 10 p.m. on Sept. 14 after she sleepwalked into the woods near her Shreveport, Louisiana-area home, according to officials with the Webster Parish Sheriff's Office.

"Our office was notified that Peyton was missing. The family and neighbors had already been looking for her about an hour," Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker told "Good Morning America."

The sheriff, Louisiana State Police and hundreds of volunteers worked together to search the woods, including drone operator Josh Klober, who traveled about 40 miles from Arkansas to Louisiana to lend a hand.

Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office via Facebook

Peyton Saintignan, 10, is found safe by Webster Parish Sheriffs after going missing in the woods of Louisiana.

Klober, a co-owner of Drone Management Services LLC, brought a drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera to help in the search, which was aided by a picture of Peyton taken by a trail camera used by hunters.

"We staged up and got everything set up, set the generator up. We had a big, flat-screen TV," Klober told "GMA."

At about 11 p.m. on Sept. 15, Klober spotted Peyton with a missing shoe, curled up on the ground, about 1.5 miles away from her home.

Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office via Facebook

Peyton Saintignan, 10, is found safe by Webster Parish Sheriffs after going missing in the woods of Louisiana.

"We saw the purple and white pajamas that she had been wearing. She was laying there. She wasn't moving and everybody was just kind of holding their breath," Klober said.

Moments later, Peyton's best friend's father, who had joined the search team, caught up to Peyton and woke her up.

"Other than some mosquito bites, she was perfect," Sheriff Parker said. "It's truly a miracle that she was unharmed."

Peyton's family told authorities the girl has been known to sleepwalk but has never left the house before this. Sheriff Parker said Peyton was checked by first responders and Child Protective Services before returning home.

"She was very happy to go back to her loved ones and was very glad to go back home," Sheriff Parker said.