CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. A dog was found by a thermal drone in a grassy area after he went missing for nearly a week.

On Dec. 30, David Nowak and Kate Belmonte’s Bernese Mountain Dog “Charlie” went out for a bathroom break.

Charlie went out with the couple’s other dog but when the two were called back in, he was nowhere to be found.

“(David) immediately got in the car and started driving around,” Belmonte said. “No sight of him.”

Before long they realized a professional was needed.

“It was terrifying nobody even around in the neighborhood had seen him,” Belmonte said. “He never leaves for that long.”

The couple connected with two companies, Dog Gone Pet Recovery and Smithic Air, who generously used their drones to look for Charlie.

On Monday, a thermal drone showed a red dot in a grassy area near their home. Another drone zoomed in to find Charlie.

“It took like 45 minutes to get him out of his hiding spot,” Belmonte said. “He is okay now. He’s not lost anymore.”

Charlie had a broken femur and had surgery after he was found. He’s expected to rejoin his family on Tuesday.

A GoFundMe has raised over $5,000 at this time.