Emergency services are encouraging equestrians to download free location app what3words in case of accidents this summer, as more riders are heading out to enjoy the warmer weather and longer days with their horses.
Providers across the UK are joining together for #KnowExactlyWhere week, urging the public to ‘help us to help you’ by downloading the free location app, what3words, before setting out this season.
The app enables those in need to share their precise location so emergency service operators can find them quickly and efficiently. The location technology is used by over 85% of UK emergency services.
what3words has divided the globe into a grid of 3m x 3m squares and given each square a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. The app is free to download for both iOS and Android devices, and works offline, making it ideal for use in areas with an unreliable data connection.
Life-saving tool
Last year, Your Horse featured two riders who credited what3words for saving their lives.
Dot (pictured below) fell from her horse Cookie and was discovered by runner Nigel in Ruislip Woods, London. He found Dot on the ground and after calling the emergency services and sharing their what3words address, the ambulance arrived within just three minutes.
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.”
“Although I’d heard of it before I never thought that it was something I would need, but I was wrong,” she added.
Fellow rider Rachel (pictured below) 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 fractured her spine in four places as a result of the fall.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
Lead image © Kelsey Media/Matthew Roberts
