The distraction forced the pilot to abandon the search but the air crew found the man by using a thermal image camera.

BBC: Laser warning after teenager guilty of 'dazzling' pilot

They have found that heating the sand for about 90 seconds with a microwave generator (known as a magnetron) designed for a household microwave oven produces a thermal image that is detectable for 15-20 minutes.

ECONOMIST: Landmines