""While they did the right thing by calling for help, standard GPS coordinates struggled to pinpoint their exact location due to the dense canopy and signal interference," the fire department noted. "Fortunately, the hikers had the what3words app installed. Using just three simple words, they were able to give our teams their precise location, leading to a much faster rescue.""
"Despite the cold and rain, as well as darkness, officials coordinated search efforts throughout the area, soon making contact with the hikers at 8:51 p.m. and extricating them from woods by 9:15 p.m. The fire department shared this information as a reminder for hikers to always have a backup for navigation, as GPS may not always work. The what3words app works offline, so long as the person already has it downloaded on their phone."
"Authorities rescued a pair of hikers in Western Massachusetts on Saturday night with the help of a smartphone app, which provided the search team with the pair's precise location. The Westfield Regional Public Safety first received a report at 7:20 p.m. of two hikers needing assistance between Reservoir Road in Westfield and Pitcher Street in Montgomery, according to a press release from the Westfield Fire Department."
Two hikers in Western Massachusetts were located and rescued after sharing precise three-word coordinates from the what3words app when standard GPS could not pinpoint their position. Westfield Regional Public Safety received the distress report at 7:20 p.m., and State Police made initial contact by phone but could not determine the hikers' exact location. Search teams coordinated through cold, rain, and darkness, made contact at 8:51 p.m., and extricated the hikers by 9:15 p.m. Authorities advised hikers to carry offline navigation backups, download the what3words app in advance, notify others of plans, and call 911 in emergencies.
Read at Boston.com
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