Woman suffering medical episode in woods rescued thanks to phone app

The woman in her 40s called Lincolnshire Police at around 8.30pm last night (Monday) saying she was unwell and unsure of her whereabouts.

She then downloaded the what3words app which helped police pinpoint her exact location quickly, meaning an ambulance was able to locate her by 9.15pm.

It is not believed her medical condition was life-threatening.

The force said: “We would have normally had to draft in officers to search the woods, but in this case one officer was able to locate the female and offer assistance.”

The app works by dividing the world into 3m x 3m squares. Each square has been allocated a unique three word address which means anyone can refer to their exact location simply by using three words.

Callers to the police who have the app can give them the three word address so they know where to find them

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Lincolnshire Police Chief Inspector Steve Williamson said: “Being able to identify a caller’s exact location is incredibly important, especially in situations like this. Being able to obtain her location meant that we could get to her in good time.

“When incidents are reported there is sometimes no easily identifiable landmark or postcode. Trying to establish exactly where these people are can result in valuable minutes being lost.

“With what3Words we can quickly pinpoint where that caller is within a 3m x 3m square. This means that no matter where they are – be it in a field, staying in a caravan on holiday, on the beach, lost or involved in a road traffic collision in an unknown rural area, we will be able to locate them.

“I would ask everyone who has a smartphone to download the app and ask your family, friends and neighbours to download it.”

To download what3words, visit: https://what3words.com.