New app helped crews find body of missing swimmer

The What3Words app played a role in finding a drowning victim earlier this week on Lake Wylie.

Channel 9 had also reported that the phone app was being used on Lake Norman.

Crews recovered a man’s body from Lake Wylie two days after he disappeared on Tuesday.

The app, which can pinpoint someone’s location within 10 feet, led first responders to the scene.

“What3Words was the primary tool to start the incident,” Steele Creek firefighter Michael Pearson said.

It gave them a starting point on the lake narrowing down a massive search to a smaller area.

“It’s amazing,” said Brian Yarmon, Lake Wylie marine commissioner.

The app enabled rescuers to avoid wasting resources and precious time, Yarmon said.

“All of that is important to get to them as quickly as possible,” he said.

It’s a technology that has proved to be useful in the face of tragedy.

“That location gives us a point to search and hopefully provide closure to a family that experienced a loss,” Pearson said.

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