Sault police credit app for helping find missing hiker
When technology works as designed, it can be helpful and police in Sault Ste. Marie say the free What 3 Words app helped save a missing hiker on the weekend.
Police said they received an emergency call around 5 p.m. on Sunday from a hiker who was lost on the Voyageur Trail, north of Sixth Line.
Dispatchers with 911 were able to pinpoint the person's exact location using the information provided by the app, which divides the world into three-metre squares that each have a unique combination of three words.
"The hiker was told to maintain their position and wait for officers," police said in a news release Tuesday morning.
"Two members of the emergency services unit attended the area using All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and were able to quickly locate the lost hiker and return them safely."
While northern Ontario is ripe with wilderness to explore, police remind adventurers to stay on marked and approved trails, stick to trails according to skill level and make sure to let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return.
"Have a cell phone with you and ensure it is charged so you can call for help if you happen to get lost," police said.
The app will still work even if you are offline.
"Without phone signal, the app functions the same as when you have no data connection: you can view the location of any what3words address you enter. You can also navigate to it using compass mode," the app's website says.
"To share a what3words address over the phone or in a text message you need phone signal. To load maps, or share in other apps or social media, you need a data connection."
More on how it works here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.