A California man owes his life to the heat-seeking capabilities of a thermal camera drone today, after he went missing in freezing temperatures and his family members could not locate him.

The 78-year-old man from Malibu in California, USA had disappeared after leaving the house to collect his mail, authorities said.

In a Facebook post shared on December 24 last year, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Malibu Search and Rescue Team (Malibu SAR) said that it received a request on the evening of Monday, December 23, to help search for the man.

“At 7:30PM on Monday December 23rd, Malibu SAR was requested to search for a 78-year-old man who went missing from his home in Malibu,” the post read.

“The informant advised us that the missing man went to get mail from his mailbox at 4:30 pm, but never returned. The informant searched for the man, who reportedly suffers from early onset dementia, but was unable to locate him.

“She then called Los Angeles County Sheriff for help.”

At the time of the man’s disappearance, the temperature was 48 degrees Fahrenheit (about nine degrees Celsius) and “falling,” authorities said.

“Malibu SAR and sheriff’s department’s Lost Hills Station deployed several FAA certified UAS (drone) pilots with Lost Hills Station’s UAS (drone) equipped with FLIR (infrared heat seeking tech).

It was not long after the drones had been deployed that one of the pilots noticed a significant heat signature over the side of the roadway in thick brush. The signature though, was motionless.

Suspecting that it may be the missing person, Malibu SAR said its operators were deployed with medical and evacuation equipment.

“Upon arriving on scene, the rescuers observed the missing man suffering from cold related illness, confused and unable to walk,” the Malibu SAR shared.

The team added that the man was evaluated, wrapped in a warm blanket and placed into a rescue basket. He was later taken to a waiting ambulance.

“A miracle just in time for the holidays!” officials added in their post.

“This UAS deployment proved the incredible value that these newly adopted tools provide for our search and rescue operations… Great work by everyone involved,” the post said.