The OPP are thanking several hikers in Killarney park over the long weekend for their help in rescuing an injured person.
On July 1, an Nipissing West OPP Emergency Response Team (ERT) member, along with two park wardens and nine backcountry hikers used a stretcher to carry the injured person to safety over a 1.5-kilometre trek through rugged terrain, which included steep inclines and declines, large boulders and swamps.
The injured person was found using a Spot Locator Beacon, which, when activated, provided the Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates to both police and park wardens.
When found the person was suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion, and unable to walk.
The individual was flown to a local hospital and treated for dehydration and heat exhaustion, then later discharged, police said. The OPP statement said that with the assistance of the backcountry hikers, the transportation of the injured person was expedited to the awaiting Ornge air ambulance.
The OPP would like to remind the public of the ‘what3words’ app that is offered for free download for both Android and Apple devices. The app labels every three squared metres with a unique three-word location string which can be converted into latitude and longitude coordinates for entry into the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system in use at the OPP Provincial Communication Centre (PCC).
If the caller does not have the app previously downloaded onto their mobile device, the PCC communicator can send a link to the caller's cellphone, which will enable the caller (with data access and connectivity), to find their what3words location. The app is available in 43 languages but shares the location in English.
