what3words App Helps To Locate Stranded Hikers
On January 10, 2021 at 3:57 p.m. police were called by a hiker who stated he and two others had become lost while hiking in the Connor Road area.
While talking with the stranded hikers, dispatchers were able to get them to download the what3words app. Once they did police and members of Sault Search and Rescue were able to pinpoint their location. With the help of the app the hikers were located and rescued safely.
The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service recently partnered with what3words to give the Service another tool to locate people who may have become lost or stranded. The app provides three unique words for every 3m square in the world – allowing anyone to describe their precise location easily.
“Anything we can deploy to locate someone in distress is a positive,” says Chief Hugh Stevenson “we are happy to be the latest Police Service to partner with what3words, and I’m proud of our dispatchers as they reacted swiftly to coordinate the use of the app to locate people in need of support.”
“Our app is free for individual users to download and use,” Says what3words representative Gregoire de Chavanas, “In emergency situations, like when hikers become stranded, we believe our technology can save lives. It is fantastic to see services like the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service embrace the use of what3words and we encourage everyone to download the free app to be prepared to give their 3 words in an emergency if needed”
The app works best when the user has downloaded the app onto their mobile device as it works offline without data connection and therefore there will be no limitations to being able to discover 3 words. For those who do not have the app in advance, emergency dispatchers can send a link for the app to phone’s via text message.
For more information about the technology please visit www.what3words.com/about-us/
For media inquiries please contact the Manager of Corporate Communications, Planning and Research Lincoln Louttit at 705-949-6300 ext. 259.