Eyes in the sky: Drones take larger role at Sheriff's Office

Drones are becoming a key tool for the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office in documenting crime scenes, finding missing people and assisting with routine problems.

This week, Deputy Ernest Edwards, who patrols northwest St. Johns County, used a drone to help track down a missing student.

Officials knew the child might be in a treehouse in a general area, so they used a drone to search for him, Edwards said.

"Just hovering around, we saw the treehouse," said Edwards, who responds to other parts of the county to fly his drone if needed.