“I work as a business development consultant, and I live in Sussex with my wife Annalisa and our two children, Josh and Jack (7 and 13). One of my favourite ways to spend my free time is cycling, which I’ve been doing for many years – I’m even part of a local cycling group! In September 2020, I went out on a long bike ride with my close friend Nick, who I met many years ago through the cycling group. We were out to do a big loop around the scenic Firle Beacon in East Sussex, and we had planned to go grab a drink outside at the local pub afterwards. After a couple hours of cycling, Nick and I were nearing the end of our route and decided to head towards the pub. We were riding along a gravel road in the middle of nowhere, going at 40mph, when all of a sudden I hit a rock. On impact, I was catapulted into the air and flew off my bike, crashing the left side of my body directly into a stone wall. After the crash I managed to stand up – there weren’t any visible injuries apart from a small cut on my knee. Nick immediately rushed to my help asking whether I was okay, and mustering up what felt like the last breath of air in my lungs I muttered the words “I think I broke my…” and collapsed. I felt as though I’d been hit by a bus – I was struggling to breathe, and was in agonising pain. I thought I’d broken my collar bone. Nick was at my aid, and turned me on my side into the recovery position as you’re supposed to. Unfortunately, one of my ribs had pierced my left lung in the crash, causing it to collapse. This was adding pressure to the lungs and making each breath all the more excruciating – but it wasn’t his fault. I was drifting in and out of consciousness, and Nick kept slapping me in the face to keep me from completely passing out. Nick called 999 straight away, but he quickly realised it would be difficult to describe our location: we were in the middle of nowhere, in an area with no notable landmarks, but I was in urgent need of medical attention and we needed a solution, fast. Nick remembered he had the what3words app on his phone, and he found our exact location: ///flow.origin.daffodils. Using the three words, the 999 team were immediately able to locate us and send help our way. Given the severity of my injuries, the South East Coast Ambulance service and the KSS Air Ambulance were dispatched. While we were waiting for them to arrive, a passerby, who happened to be a nurse, stopped to help Nick keep me conscious – between the two of them, they helped keep me alive. Less than half an hour later, the ambulance navigated directly to my location, and the helicopter landed on the field next to us at ///motive.vase.boldest. I was assessed on the scene, and they determined that I’d need emergency surgery. I was airlifted to Brighton Hospital, where I had emergency surgery upon arrival to reinflate my lung to get me breathing again and stabilise my condition. Afterwards, all my crash injuries were diagnosed: in addition to the punctured lung, my ribs were smashed, with one of my bottom ribs breaking in three different places. I also had damage to my sternum and diaphragm. Subsequently during physiotherapy, injuries in my lower back and ankles were also attributed to the crash. Although I was up and walking again the following day, I ended up having some complications from my surgery which caused an infection. After a couple weeks of being really ill, I wasn’t getting better. I was sent to Guy’s hospital in London for further surgery and treatment. This was all happening during the pandemic, meaning I was alone without my family – it was incredibly scary and lonely, and I was in agonising pain. Luckily, I made it out of the surgery, and had to spend nearly 10 days recovering alone in isolation at the hospital. It was one of the most difficult experiences of my life. Four years on, my recovery has been a journey, but I am now able to go back to the gym and cycle again, although the pain does linger in the background. Luckily my chest area has healed well, it’s mostly my lower back that gives me trouble, but it’s manageable. I’m eternally grateful to Nick for helping me. If he hadn’t had the what3words app on his phone, the ambulances might have struggled to find me before my lungs gave out – and there is no telling what the outcome might have been. But with the help of the app, the emergency services were able to identify my precise location with ease. Since the incident, I’ve encouraged my friends and family to download what3words, and our cycling group has even started using it to map out routes. Nick and I are also planning on doing a charity cycle in France this summer to help raise money for the KSS Air Ambulance. The team of volunteers who came to my rescue were absolutely incredible, and I want to help them raise enough money to buy their own helicopter, so they can continue to do their critical, life-saving work.” Featuring: John Powell Where: Sussex, United Kingdom When: 11 Jun 2024 Credit: John Powell/Cover Images **EDITORIAL USE ONLY. MATERIALS ONLY TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EDITORIAL STORY. THE USE OF THESE MATERIALS FOR ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. MATERIAL COPYRIGHT REMAINS WITH STATED PHOTOGRAPHER AND/OR SUPPLIER.**