DARKE & MERCER COUNTIES — Authorities are investigating after learning about drone sightings in Darke and Mercer counties Monday night.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, Mercer County Sheriff Doug Timmerman said his office has received reports of “significant” sightings over the past few nights.
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Some of the sightings occurred in Fort Recovery, Saint Henry, Coldwater and other rural areas on the west side of the county.
“We’ll get the occasional low-flying aircraft or whatever call once in a blue moon, but not this amount of calls, so, yeah, this is a first for us,” Timmerman said.
He said there is no pattern for where the drones are spotted.
It is unclear where these drones came from and what they are doing, according to Timmerman.
The sheriff’s office has been in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration, the FBI and other local law enforcement agencies in the surrounding counties, including Indiana.
“The FBI has been really good to us so far today, they’re going to try to assist us the best they can. They’re asking for all of our video footage from the sightings that we have. We’re going to continue to work with those federal agencies, pass the information onto them,” Timmerman said.
He said his office’s goal is to try to find out who the owners and operators are, and their reasoning for flying over Mercer County.
A sergeant with the Darke County Sheriff’s Office told News Center 7 that they are also working to learn more about these reports.
Exact locations or the number of sightings in Darke County were not immediately available.
Timmerman asks all community members to continue to gather information or video footage of the drones. Any footage with locations can be sent to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
“For safety reasons the Sheriff’s Office is asking citizens not to try and chase the drones,” Timmerman said.
News Center 7 is working to learn more and will continue to follow this story.
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