Artificial intelligence is transforming mountain rescue, slashing search times from weeks to hours and potentially saving lives. In a recent Italian operation, AI software analysed drone images to locate a missing climber's body within days, a task that had previously stymied human searchers for nearly a year.
The breakthrough came in the search for Nicola Ivaldo, a 66-year-old orthopaedic surgeon and experienced climber who went missing in the Italian Alps in September 2024. Despite a week-long search involving over 50 rescuers and a helicopter, no trace was found, and the mission was abandoned when early snow fell.
Rescuers resumed the search in July 2025 after snowmelt. This time, they deployed AI software to analyse thousands of high-resolution photos taken by drones. The drones covered 183 hectares in five hours, capturing over 2,600 images. The AI identified a red helmet as a point of interest, leading to the discovery of Ivaldo's body in a gully on Monviso at 3,150 metres.
Simone Bobbio, spokesperson for the Mountain Rescue Service of Piemonte, said, 'The key was a red helmet identified as a point of interest by the software.' The technology, still in experimental use since 2023, proved its worth in rugged terrain where helicopters struggle.
Rescue teams hope to integrate AI with traditional methods for future searches, especially when missing persons might still be alive. The drones' manoeuvrability allowed close inspection of rock walls and gullies, providing views impossible from a helicopter.
