Fire crews use What3Words to rescue cow stuck in mud

What3Words was used by fire crews to pinpoint the cow's exact location (Photo: South Wales Fire and Rescue Service)
What3Words was used by fire crews to pinpoint the cow's exact location (Photo: South Wales Fire and Rescue Service)

Fire crews utilised the location app What3Words to rescue a cow stuck in thick mud on a river embankment in South Wales.

Crews from Chepstow and Bridgend Fire Stations undertook the rescue operation on Newhouse Farm Industrial Estate in Chepstow on 9 May.

What3Words, which is a geocode system for the communication of locations with a resolution of three metres, was used to pinpoint the cow's exact location.

The free smartphone app geolocates to give three unique words for the user’s current location.

"This was a challenging rescue for our crews, requiring strategic planning and specialist equipment," South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said.

"Utilising What 3 Words, crews located Bull-loved Sally on the embankment and worked tirelessly into the night to free her.

"We’re please to announce that Sally is now safe and has been returned to the herd."

The three words provided on the app can be relayed verbally, in a message to help direct a third party to the location, or via a link sent from the app that opens up the map at the receiving end.

There are sufficient combinations of three words for every 3m square to be globally unique, and the words are totally random.

The app, which is used widely in the farming industry, is available to download for free.