Fire crews were called to rescue a horse who had become stuck in a river.
Teams from Essex Fire and Rescue Service used the ‘what3words’ app to locate the horse, who was stuck in the River Stort near Sheering Mill Lane, Harlow, on Saturday, February 13.
The free smartphone app, which divides every three-metre square of the into a unique combination of three words, allows emergency services to pinpoint incidents in remote locations.
Crews were called by a passing member of the public to a horse who was trapped in the river two miles from the nearest road.
Essex Fire’s control room team advised the caller to download what3words.
Using a head harness and lead, firefighters were able to control the horse to lead it to safety in a nearby secure field just before 11am where it has been happily munching on grass with its equine friends.
Watch Manager Kirk Collins from Old Harlow Fire Station said: “When we found the horse in the water, it was happily munching away at the grass and our Animal Rescue Unit gave expert advice in the best way to rescue this horse. We worked together to keep the horse calm and under control while leading it away to safety quickly before it trotted off unharmed.
“We’d really encourage the public to download what3words as it makes it much easier for us to find you in a remote location and in an emergency.”
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