After the incident involving the 20 year-old camper at a Barooga Beach, emergency services said they have received four different calls for help.
All four callers are believed to have given vastly different locations for where the incident occurred.
A quick response from emergency services can often be the difference between life and death, and NSW Rural Fire Service Federation Zone Group Captain Greyd’n Davis said knowing your location is very important.
He said it is understandable that visitors can become confused when giving directions, particularly in a stressful situation.
He said one simple solution is to take advantage of technological advances, and ‘apps’ like Emergency +.
The free smart phone app can pinpoint your exact location for emergency services, using mapping coordinates.
It will also highlight points of interest close to you to help with directions.
‘‘In those situations it’s hard to work out the exact details of everything, particularly when you don’t know where you are,’’ Capt Davis said.
‘‘If you use this app you can give Triple Zero your location based on latitude and longitude, plus it can also dial Triple Zero for you.
‘‘This means it’s giving the emergency services an exact location of where you are and that can be vital when you’re in an unfamiliar place.
‘‘It’s very handy in the rural and remote region because it will limit confusion and eliminate the guesswork.
‘‘On the downside, you must have telephone reception for it to work, but it is still important to have on your phone.’’
Capt Davis said while the app can be particularly helpful in the busy summer tourist period, the application has its advantages throughout the year.
‘‘The app can also be handy when a motor vehicle accident has occurred,’’ he said.
‘‘Sometimes we have people travelling along the Riverina Hwy who need assistance but they can be up to 40 kilometres from the location they have given.’’
The Emergency + app is an initiative of the National Triple Zero Awareness Work Group. For more information about the app and how it can be downloaded, go to www.emergencyapp.triplezero.gov.au.