Life-saving what3words app reveals random words for some famous locations — can you tell where they are?
What3words helped cops find Valerie Hawkett and her daughter after she flipped her car in a field — here we show some unique combinations of words to locate special places
WEEKEND. foggy. earphones. Three random words which a stranded mum relayed to cops after flipping her car.
But the short, seemingly meaningless message was enough to save her life.
The Sun told yesterday how cops texted Valerie Hawkett details of new location app what3words, which pinpointed her location in a field.
The mum, who was with her four-year-old daughter Tegan, had ended up overturned and hidden from view.
Valerie, 33, from Trowbridge, Wilts, logged on to and selected “current location”.
The app divides the planet into 3meter by 3meter squares — each identified by three unique, random words.
Weekend. foggy. earphones, referred to the exact location of Valerie’s car in a field off the A36 in Somerset.
Eton pals Chris Sheldrick and Jack Waley- Cohen came up with the location finder idea in 2013.
Users can log on to find friends at a crowded music festival or on a beach.
But the emergency services have found it a boon. It has saved police in rural areas from having to use expensive helicopters in difficult searches.
How to do it
HERE’s how you can find the words for your home on the app.
- Type in postcode.
- Move the satellite-view map until the pointer is on the square closest to your home.
- Amuse your friends with the three words that identify your location.
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The app is saving lives across the UK. Last month Humberside Police used it to locate a woman who been abducted, sexually assaulted and held captive.
Avon and Somerset Police embraced the technology to find a lost child. And organisations such as the UN are using it for disaster relief operations.
Here we show the what3words locations for some famous places.
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