An 11-year-old Moore County girl who disappeared from home Thursday night was found safe thanks to a drone, officials said.

Deputies said they spent 45 minutes combing through the woods in search of Kaniya Chambers before calling in Lt. Tim Davis to assist with a drone.

After 15 minutes of flying, the drone's heat sensor was able to find Kaniya, authorities said.

“They passed by her to start with because she was hid under some limbs,” Davis said. “And she's only 11 years old. She was so small, so they didn't see her with flashlights.”

The Moore County Sheriff's Office started its drone program last year, officials said. Since then, it has added six drones to its fleet.