RCMP say the Saskatoon Police Service's Air Support Unit was instrumental in saving the life of a 66-year-old man in North Battleford, Sask.

On Monday, Gordon Bingham, 66, was reported missing after leaving his home on that morning at around 7 a.m. CST. Bingham is legally blind, and police were called when he did not return home.

Last night the North Battleford RCMP asked for help locating a 66 yr old legally blind person who had been missing outside since 7am. At approx. 9:30pm after 45 min searching <a href="https://twitter.com/SPSAir1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SPSAir1</a> located him in in the bushes and guided searchers to his location. Lifesaving team effort! <a href="https://t.co/ULf62URR8k">pic.twitter.com/ULf62URR8k</a> —@SPSAir1

After performing a ground search for several hours, RCMP eventually called Saskatoon Police, which brought in its plane at around 8 p.m.

Thermal image from Saskatoon Police Service's Air Support Unit of rescue of missing North Battleford man. (Twitter)

By 9:30 p.m. pilots were able to find Bingham in a wooded area north of the city using a thermal imaging camera. By the time they found him, temperatures felt like -34 with the windchill.

"They used their FLIR (forward-looking infrared radiometer) system looking for heat signatures in a wooded area north of the city where he might be, and they found him," said RCMP Sgt. Wendell Houk.

In the video released on Twitter searchers thank the SPS Air Support Unit for their help locating Bingham. (Twitter)

After he was found, Bingham was taken to hospital where he was being treated for hypothermia and frostbite-related injuries.

The North Battleford RCMP would like to thank the public, search and rescue teams and the Air Support Unit for their help.