Two riders have credited location app what3words for saving their lives when they fell from their horses earlier this year.
Dot (pictured top) fell from her horse and was discovered by runner Nigel in Ruislip Woods, London. He heard a loud scream and saw Dot’s horse, Cookie, rearing.
He found Dot on the ground and after calling the emergency services and sharing their what3words address, the ambulance arrived within just three minutes.
“People rushed to the scene, even a nurse and two military medics who happened to be there helped me,” said Dot. “Nigel kindly dialled 999 and gave the ambulance our what3words address. The emergency services arrived quickly after, and didn’t have any troubles finding me due to the precise location.”
Dot tore two ligaments in her ankle, dislocated a toe and fractured the side of her foot.
“I got off easy given the circumstances as I could have died that day,” she said. “Luckily, Cookie only sustained a scrape on his thigh, which was a relief as he is not covered by the NHS, so I’m glad I could take one for the team.”
Dot thanked everyone involved in her rescue, especially Nigel and his knowledge of what3words. She said the day after the accident, she downloaded what3words herself.
“Although I’d heard of it before I never thought that it was something I would need, but I was wrong,” she added. “I now raise awareness about the app in pet groups on Facebook, as you never know when it might come in handy.
“I have also used the app to help my manager locate myself and my colleagues during a work trip to Milan – I wasn’t expecting to use it in such a positive way so soon after my accident.”
Fellow rider Rachel (pictured above) said she is also indebted to the app. She fell from a friend’s horse, Ben, at a private farm in Rosewell, Scotland.
Rachel called for help, and after trying to describe her location for around five minutes, the handler asked if she could share the what3words address. Using this information, the call handler was able to immediately locate Rachel, and the Edinburgh & Lothians Ambulance Service arrived within 20 minutes to take her to hospital.
Rachel fracturing her spine in four places as a result of the fall.
“Considering I was a woman all on my own with spinal injuries, the ambulance service was able to prioritise me,” she said. “I was so relieved that they found me quickly, I don’t even want to think how much worse the pain would have been if I had to wait any longer.
“I was honestly so relieved I had the what3words app, you never really think that stuff like this can happen when you are doing things that seem ordinary. It’s really important to have the app on your phone just in case, especially if you like to go out on adventures on your own. I’ve been telling all my Facebook friends to download it — and it’s free!”
How to use what3words
- Download the what3words app, which is free on both iOS and Android, and does not need an internet connection to find your current what3words address as it uses GPS.
- Open the app and click the blue arrow (iOS) or compass (Android) to find the what3words address for your current location. Make sure you wait a few seconds until the GPS has settled and the blue dot is not jumping around — this will give the most accurate result.
- Clearly share your what3words address with the call handler, along with any other location descriptions you may have — such as nearby roads, towns or any other landmarks you can see.
OR
- If you don’t have the what3words app already installed, the emergency services call handler might send you an SMS text including a link that will open what3words in your internet browser.
- The page will display your current what3words address, and your device’s GPS accuracy in metres. Click the ‘refresh’ button to refine the accuracy of your GPS.
- Share your what3word address with the call handler, along with any other location descriptions you may have.
The emergency service can then coordinate a response directly to the exact location where help is needed.
