Thermal images of the Boston bomber hiding in a backyard boat taken by a helicopter’s IR camera

David Cenciotti

The following thermal images were released on Twitter by the Massachusetts State Police, show the Boston Marathon bombings suspect Dzhokhar Tsarneav hiding in a boat in a Watertow backyard during Apr. 19’s manhunt.

Image credit: Massachusetts State Police

FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red) pods carried by Police helicopters have been an important tool in helping law enforcement locate suspects of the Boston Marathon bombing.

The helicopter was able to pick up the heat signature of the individual even if he was hiding under a cover on the boat, and direct tactical teams on the ground over to the area.

Modern IR (infrared) cameras are extremely sensitive to heat: they are capable to pick different temperatures at very long distances. They can pick up heat on a wall from where a hand was placed for a few seconds and show its thermal signature.

You can’t hide from these cameras unless wearing special reflective materials/suits, capable to minimize heat gain and loss.

Update: here’s the the Boston Bomber manhunt IR video

About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.