PETERBOROUGH-The Peterborough County OPP used the What3Words app to locate two people lost in a wooded area in North Kawartha.
On Saturday October 3, 2026, just prior to 12:30pm, officers responded to a call where two individuals stated they were lost on a large rural property off Highway 28 in North Kawartha Township. The couple had been out on All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and had gone off the main trail leaving them unable to get to find their way back.
Officers requested the OPP dispatcher utilize the What3Words app, who after assisting the caller was able to receive the three words from the lost couple. Upon arrival, officers entered the three words into their What3Words app on their phones and were able to locate the lost parties in less than 20 minutes according to police. The couple were led to the main trail where they were able to safely make their way back to where they started.
The OPP strongly suggests being prepared when hiking or ATVing in wooded areas. Ensure you have adequate clothing and footwear, a fully charged cell phone, a flashlight and water. Download the What3words app ahead of time in case you become lost. Wooded areas are easy to become disoriented in, so if you’re not familiar with the trails, don’t venture out on them when it is getting dark.
What3words is a free application for iPhones and Android devices that works off the cellphone’s Global Positioning System (GPS) or offline without mobile data if the caller already has the mobile app downloaded on their cellular device. Through it’s global mapping system, the app labels every three squared meters with a unique three-word location string which can be converted into latitude and longitude coordinates.
For more information on the what3words app and the possible uses, visit their website at https://what3words.com/
