In a dramatic rural rescue, a Nottinghamshire, England father used a location-finding app to direct emergency services to a farmer pinned beneath a half-ton bale of hay. Michael Moss, 39, was enjoying lunch in his yard when he heard desperate cries for help. He raced towards the sound, discovering a harrowing scene: a farmer, identified only as Stephen, trapped from the waist down under the massive hay bale, in agonizing pain near an abandoned tractor.
Unable to move the heavy bale himself, Moss dialed 999, the UK emergency number. Recognizing the challenge of directing responders to the remote location, he cleverly utilized the what3words app. This app assigns a unique three-word code to every 3-meter square on Earth, providing precise location information.
By relaying the three words – "dads," "scorched," and "hairstyle" – to the emergency operator, Moss enabled paramedics to pinpoint his exact location within minutes. The paramedics arrived, administered pain relief, and transported the injured farmer to a hospital an hour away. Moss also contacted the farmer's colleagues, who arrived to assist with the heavy bales.
The farmer sustained serious injuries to his pelvis and femur, but Moss's quick thinking and use of the what3words app likely prevented a far worse outcome. This incident highlights the vital role of technology in emergency situations, especially in remote areas with limited access. Moss emphasized the app's offline functionality as a crucial feature, given the unreliable phone signal in the area.
The what3words system divides the world into a grid, assigning each square a unique three-word combination. Launched in 2013, this digital mapping company has proven invaluable in various emergency scenarios, enabling precise location identification even in the most isolated areas.
