What3Words: Yorkshire pensioner who broke his leg while hiking was found by paramedics using What3Words

John McGuire, 62, was on a solo walking trip on the Isle of Skye when he was walking along a muddy path and tried to dodge a puddle of mud. But he slipped and heard his leg snap and said he knew instantly it was broken.

Fathers-of-two John had no phone signal or internet but was able to make an emergency 999 call and tell them his location using the words 'tasters, chiefs, papers'. Keen walker John already had the app downloaded - but was worried it wouldn't work given his remoteness and lack of signal.

John, from Yorkshire, said: "I was out on my walk in the hills, and the footpath I was following started getting muddier. It had clearly been dug up for winter maintenance and wasn't in its normal condition, so I stepped aside to avoid a deep puddle. Before I knew it I had slipped and my circumstances changed in an instant. From the snapping sound I knew I had broken my leg.

"I was now immobile with no phone signal or internet. My phone indicated emergency calls only so I was still able to call 999. The ambulance operator took my details and asked for my location. I was able to give an approximate location but in the openness of the terrain, a precise description wasn't possible. The operator asked if I had the what3words app on my phone, which I did.

"I had downloaded it as a precaution a few years earlier, though only used for social purposes with friends. The operator asked me for the what3words for my location. Despite the remoteness and the high winds making hearing difficult, the operator confirmed she had identified my position there and then immediately mobilised ambulance and mountain rescue teams."

By the time John was rescue he had been on the ground for more than two hours, and his body temperature had dropped to 35C. He said the rescue app cut the time it took mercy crews to find him after his fall on Feburary 9 and saved him from getting hypothermia. John was taken to hospital with medics confirmed he had broken his fibula and would need surgery.

He said: "The search time saved by using the what3words app meant that they found me much quicker, saving critical time against becoming hypothermic. I was transported to the hospital over an hour away, where I stayed for a couple of nights. I broke my fibula on my left leg, and required surgery.

"My friend was coming up to the Highlands on a separate trip, and my son joined her on the ride so he could come collect my van and drive over 10 hours to get me back to Manchester to have the operation."

John's recovery will take three to four months and he said he will need to do physiotherapy to get moving again.

He said: "A few nights later I was lying in my hospital bed reflecting on what had happened and thought about how critical the what3words app was to my rescue. I wrote to my friends and family on my facebook page thanking them for all their kind words and support, and seriously encouraging them to download the app. Whilst this app has social benefits it can be a life saver and perhaps it was for me.

"I feel really strongly about everyone downloading it. It is phenomenal."