Phone App Helps Save Lost Hikers in Western Massachusetts

Two hikers in Western Massachusetts were rescued after using the what3words app to share their precise location, allowing responders to pinpoint them quickly.

According to a Boston.com report, Westfield Regional Public Safety received a report at 7:20 p.m. of two hikers requiring assistance between Reservoir Road in Westfield and Pitcher Street in Montgomery, according to a press release from the Westfield Fire Department.

Fire officials noted that initial rescue efforts were hampered by the dense canopy and signal interference, but the three-word location from what3words helped expedite the search.

According to Boston.com, what3words works by assigning a unique three-word combination to every 3-meter-square space in the world. The app records which of these spaces a person is in at any time. It also works offline with GPS, provided users have the app already downloaded to their devices.

Amid cold, rain, and darkness, officials banded together in their search. They made contact with the hikers at 8:51 p.m. and got them out of the woods by 9:15 p.m.

The rescue effort involved participation from multiple agencies, including the Westfield Fire Department, the Montgomery Fire Department, the Western Massachusetts Technical Rescue Team, the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, the State Police, the Southwick Fire Department, and the Westfield Public Safety Communications Center.

Officials said this incident serves as a reminder for hikers to use a navigation backup, inform others of hiking plans, provide an estimated return time, and call 911 in emergencies.