On Friday, emergency crews rescued a couple with the help of the app, what3words.
Around 12:40 p.m., police received a 9-1-1 call from a woman informing them that her and her husband were stuck on an embankment near the ice in the area of Tigerlily and Riverbend roads.
Using the app, the woman was able to give their exact location to dispatchers. Emergency crews were quickly able to get to the scene and locate the couple by 1 p.m. The couple were brought to safety and no injuries were reported.
The app, based on a global mapping system, assigns three-word tags to three-metre locations. The three words are converted into coordinates that responding officers can use to determine the exact location of a person in distress. Whenever someone is lost or in distress, the system can be used to determine where to send emergency services
The app has previously come in handy in helping locate lost hikers in other parts of Ontario. The London Police Service recently adopted the new technology and is encouraging members of the public to download the free service for instances such as this.
For more information, visit what3words' website.
