What3Words App Helps Rescue Stranded Mass. Hikers

When two hikers became stranded on a steep Massachusetts mountainside Saturday night, their rescuers faced a serious problem: traditional GPS couldn't find them.

The Westfield Fire Department launched their rescue operation at 7:20 p.m. after receiving reports of hikers trapped between Reservoir Road in Westfield and Pitcher Street in Montgomery. As darkness fell and temperatures dropped, time was running out.

Standard GPS coordinates kept failing to pinpoint the hikers' exact location in the rugged terrain. That's when rescuers turned to what3words, a web-based service that divides the world into 10-foot squares and assigns each one a unique three-word address.

The app worked instantly. Rescuers from both Westfield and Montgomery fire departments now had precise coordinates to guide their search.

The Montgomery Fire Department approached from Pitcher Street while Westfield crews entered from Reservoir Road. A utility task vehicle managed to push through rough terrain until it reached a point just 200 feet from the hikers.

The final stretch proved too steep and challenging for vehicles. The Technical Rescue Team hiked in on foot, navigating the difficult elevation changes in adverse weather conditions.

Rescuers reached the stranded hikers and carefully guided them back down to the waiting vehicle. By 9 p.m., both hikers were safely off the mountain with no injuries reported.

Why This Inspires

This rescue represents more than just two people getting home safely. It shows how emergency responders constantly adapt and learn, embracing new tools that can save lives when traditional methods fall short.

The what3words app has already helped coordinate emergency responses worldwide, but many people still don't know it exists. Fire departments like Westfield's are now proving its value in real-world scenarios where every minute counts.

For hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, this story offers a powerful reminder: downloading the right app before your adventure could be the difference between a scary night and a safe rescue. The technology already exists to help emergency crews find you anywhere on Earth using just three simple words.

Both fire departments worked seamlessly together despite challenging conditions, showing the kind of coordination that saves lives. Their willingness to try new technology when old methods failed turned a potentially dangerous situation into a success story worth celebrating.