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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly crucial in Search and Rescue (SAR) operations due to their ability to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. Search and Rescue is a vital activity as it directly impacts the preservation of life and safety in critical situations, such as locating and rescuing individuals in perilous or remote environments. However, the effectiveness of these operations heavily depends on the quality of sensor data for accurate target detection. This study investigates the application of the Real Enhanced Super-Resolution Generative Adversarial Networks (Real-ESRGAN) algorithm to enhance the resolution and detail of infrared images captured by UAV sensors. By improving image quality through super-resolution, we then assess the performance of the YOLOv8 target detection algorithm on these enhanced images. Preliminary results indicate that Real-ESRGAN significantly improves the quality of low-resolution infrared data, even when using pre-trained models not specifically tailored to our dataset, this highlights a considerable potential of applying the algorithm in the preprocessing stages of images generated by UAVs for search and rescue operations.