FIREFIGHTERS rescued a teenager who was stranded on a raft in a lake with the help of the 'what3words' app.

Youngsters raised the alarm at 8.25pm on Saturday after playing by a lake.

One of them was sitting on a raft when it started to drift to the middle of the water.

The group called 999 but didn't know exactly where they were.

The emergency control room told them to download what3words - a free smartphone app that pinpoints your location using a three-word co-ordinate.

'Gadgets.greet.resting' were the three words that led crews to a lake near Lincoln Lane, in Great Horkesley.

A specially trained water rescue team went into the lake and had rescued the teenage boy using a sled by 9pm.

Firefighters and control staff are urging people to use the app in emergencies.

What3words works by breaking the world down into trillions of 3m by 3m squares, each with a unique three-word address.

These three words can then be used by the emergency services to pinpoint your location accurately.

Station manager Quentin Sage said: “Using what3words greatly helped us to get to the right place at the right time last night.

"It was starting to get dark and the group were struggling to describe where they were.

"What3words was able to give an accurate location and we found the group quickly."

"It’s the third time this week I’ve used it to find incidents and would highly recommend people download the app - especially if you’re headed somewhere new and unfamiliar.

He added: “I’d also like to urge residents to be water aware and be careful in and around water, especially when it’s getting dark.

"If you do get into difficulty in the water, our top advice would be to remember 'Float to Live'. Float on your back with your arms and legs stretched out and stay calm.

"Swim to safety if you can but if not, stay calm, float and shout for help.”