Michigan police capture escaped inmate using thermal drone

Casie Jo Helsel, 44, was apprehended by authorities in Michigan after escaping from the Crawford County Jail in Grayling on Monday afternoon. The escape triggered a multi-agency manhunt involving the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and the Michigan State Police.

Investigators tracked Helsel into nearby swampland after he discarded his prison jumpsuit. Michigan State Police utilized a thermal drone to locate the inmate, who was reportedly attempting to hide in brush and wooded areas. Drone footage captured the moment officers and K-9 units surrounded Helsel in the woods following the aerial tracking.