A horse is recovering after an emergency team from Alfreton Community Fire Station pulled her from icy Erewash Canal in the early hours of the morning on Thursday 21st November.
The coloured mare had escaped from her field before falling into the Derbyshire canal and getting stuck. There was snow on the ground and the water temperature was freezing.
After being spotted by a passerby who called 999, a crew from Blue Watch Alfreton, supported by Eastwood on-call fire station, was despatched.
They were able to find the mare’s exact location in the dark thanks to the quick-thinking passerby sharing the what3words address.
“The crew created a barrel-skid with yellow strops to carefully pull the horse from the canal,” said a statement.
“Once safely ashore, she was walked to her field and assessed by Scarsdale Vets, wrapped in blankets, and given hay. Before long, the horse’s body temperature rose to normal, and she is now safe at home in a stable condition.”
What is what3words?
What3words has divided the whole world into 57 trillion 3x3m squares. Each square has its own unique combination of three words, which is its what3words address.
By giving this address to a person, it enables them to pinpoint your exact location and easily find you. This is vital in an emergency, and can also be useful for giving directions to a remote yard or area.
The app is free to download for both iOS and Android devices and works offline, making it ideal for horse riders who often find themselves in areas with patchy mobile phone signal, such as when out hacking or cross-country schooling, for example.
What3words is available in over 60 languages and is used by over 85% of UK emergency services.
Main image supplied by what3words
