Kids Help Police Helicopter Track Down Crooks by Forming Human Arrow

What started off as an Easter egg hunt quickly turned into a manhunt.

A group of kids from a quiet rural village called Capel in Surrey—outside of London—formed a human arrow pointing towards two fleeing thieves on Good Friday (March 25) to guide a police helicopter.

According to Surrey Police, there were about 30 adults and children who were taking part in an Easter egg hunt at around 2 p.m. when they became aware of an police helicopter circling overhead.

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The kids then noticed two men racing across the field. As soon as the children realized what was transpiring right in front of them, they dropped to the ground and lay out in an arrow-shaped formation to point the authorities the right way.

“The children quickly formed an arrow on the ground in the middle of a plowed field to guide the helicopter in the direction of the fleeing pair,” a statement from police said. “The helicopter crew relayed this information to officers on the ground and a short time later two men were arrested.”

National Police Air Service (NPAS) Sergeant Paul Sochon said: “I’m sure the last thing the group of daring Capel residents expected when they set out on Friday afternoon was to abandon their Easter egg hunt to assist us in a police search but the initiative they demonstrated proved to be invaluable.

@NPAS_Redhill Another result with the help of Capel kids #besteasteregghunt pic.twitter.com/4toGbQ2Hz8

— Lee Robinson (@leeboyrobinson) March 25, 2016

“The swift action taken by the group of parents and their children was the sort of thing you would usually associate with an Enid Blyton adventure but their ingenuity proved a great help for our crews.

He continued, “As a thank you for their efforts, the NPAS crew landed nearby to thank the children for the role they played in the incident and they even shared a few chocolate treats with the team, which was an added bonus after a busy shift.”

Capel kids help ‘copter to capture crooks!https://t.co/bXIKOmAlBShttps://t.co/SEJdytudD6
cc/ @NPAS_Redhill #NotAnAprilFool

— Surrey Police (@SurreyPolice) April 1, 2016

Two men ages 28 and a 27 were arrested on suspicion of burglary in connection with the incident. Both men were released on bail until Friday, May 13, while the investigation continues.