Emergency app for stranded skiers in Tyrol

A new app developed by the control centre for mountain rescue in Tyrol and the Tyrolean mountain rescue clubs is set to make mountain rescues easier by pinpointing the exact location of the stranded person.

Winter sports fans will be able to download the app – and if they run into difficulty a simple click of the app will notify rescuers and will automatically send rescuers the coordinates of where the person is, what altitude they are at as well as their mobile phone number.

When the app is pressed the rescuers will first make contact with the stranded person to assess the situation.

This app will enable rescuers to move faster and pin point the location of the person in need.

Martin Eberharter from the mountain rescue control centre in Tyrol said: “This will enable us to jump quicker into action and help us work more efficiently and rescue people faster.”

“A lot of our time is spent trying to locate the person in need. We will now speed this up as we will have exact coordinates to hand. It will also help people who do not know the emergency numbers to make direct contact with us.”

The app which will work all year round is available to download from the end of February.

Last year alone the control centre in Tyrol was contacted 300,000 times. Some 245,000 calls resulted in police, mountain rescuers or the fire service being sent to the scene. The helicopter was used for over 8,000 rescue missions in 2010 and is expected to have increased in 2011.