Overview

• In July 2024, Will Coen collapsed from exertional heat stroke during a 10km woodland run and developed acute liver and kidney failure.
• Sarah Coen used the what3words app to share precise coordinates after phone signals failed, enabling Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance to reach him rapidly.
• Medical teams anaesthetised Will at the scene, ventilated him to Queen’s Medical Centre and then transferred him to Birmingham Children’s Hospital for specialist care.
• After four days in hospital and months of rehabilitation, Will has returned to school, resumed sports and no longer requires medication.
• The Coen family is calling for wider public use of what3words and greater awareness of heat stroke warning signs to improve rescue outcomes in remote areas.