A 54-year-old woman who was the subject of a multi agency search at Thorness Bay holiday park this morning (Saturday) has been found thanks to a member of the public who used tracking service what3words.
The casualty, who slipped over and injured her back, was found on the foreshore at Thorness Bay after being spotted by a woman walking her dog.
Using navigation app what3words, she was able to alert police to the exact location of the casualty who had been missing for at least 5 hours.
After the Cowes Lifeboat crew – who were now at the scene having begun their search at around 10:35 – located her in a remote spot, they suggested she be evacuated by Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 175.
After a lengthy and difficult extraction the casualty was conveyed to St Mary’s Hospital.
As previously reported by Island Echo, the 54-year-old had been missing since around 07:36 this morning (Saturday) when Police received a missing person report.
Police were quickly mobilised to the scene as well as Coastguard crews from Ventnor and the Needles, alongside WightSAR. The National Police Air Service Helicopter joined shortly after.
The injuries the casualty sustained aren’t known to be life threatening.
Everyone who has a phone capable of downloading the What3Words App should do it. It’s absolutely brilliant and can save lives.
Glad this lady was found safe and ok.
Well done all involved
There’s no doubting the brilliance of What Three Words.
Just glad she has been found safe and well
Glad she’s safe and well x
What three words can put you several hundred miles away from your location if not noted down or remembered correctly. The only truly reliable method is by grid reference coordinates which has been good enough for decades and through 2 world wars. Don’t understand why this isn’t more commonly understood. Finding your location on Google maps automatically shows the grid reference coordinates.
All should have this for helping the Rspca locate injured animals in the countryside.
Otherwise it’s so hard to explain to a mainland person where a remote field etc is when you and certainty they aren’t too familiar with the islands out of town locations
I have a friend who goes kayaking on the Solent regularly and for many years now she would give me a quick call to say what time she is expected back. She goes to the same secluded bay with her dogs in the kayak and I’ve had her precise “What3Words” app location for years.
If she doesn’t phone me to say she’s safely back by the agreed time, I will call her once, then if no reply, I’ll call the coast guard and give them her precise location through the “What3Words” app.
This is a fantastic app for your mobile phone and I highly recommend installing it on yours and maybe more importantly your kids phones for yours and theirs safety!
My wife found her despite the search helicopter passing over many times. Not one single aspect of the rescue was done quickly. It took them hours to decide to get a helicopter when I had told them that they would struggle badly to get her over a mile of rocks on a stretcher and she was easily accessible for a chopper.I was appalled at the complete lack emergency.