Investigators used drones to recover a 78-year-old California man who went missing while going to fetch his mail alive.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Dec. 24, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Malibu Search and Rescue Team (Malibu SAR) stated that it received a request to assist in the search for the guy on Monday evening, Dec. 23.

The individual who reported the guy missing told investigators that he went to his mailbox at about 4:30 p.m. local time and never returned.

The unidentified individual told authorities she couldn’t find the missing man and that he had early dementia. She then notified the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

According to officials, the temperature was 48 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of the man’s disappearance and subsequent “fall.”

The Sheriff’s Department’s Lost Hills Station and Malibu SAR both used drones, one of which had infrared heat-seeking equipment.

According to the Malibu SAR, a drone observed “a significant heat signature over the side of the roadway in thick brush” and found the item inert. In case it was the missing individual, Malibu SAR sent its workers with medical and evacuation equipment.

“Upon arriving on scene, the rescuers observed the missing man suffering from a cold-related illness, confused and unable to walk,” according to the Malibu Sheriff’s Office.

The crew also reported that they assessed the man, wrapped him in a warm blanket, and placed him in a rescue basket. Later, they transferred him to a waiting ambulance.

In their post, the authorities declared, “A miracle just in time for the holidays!”

“This UAS [drone] deployment demonstrated the significant value of these new tools in search and rescue operations…””Great work by everyone involved,” the message concluded.