Hiker who survived 50ft fall at Burlington conservation area meets rescuers

It's an anniversary Anita Ceh would probably rather forget, but one she first had to mark with a thank you to her rescuers.

It was a year ago when Ceh lost her footing while hiking with friend Jennifer Massel at Mount Nemo Conservation Area and plummeted 50 feet into a deep crevasse.

She was seriously injured and spent several months in hospital.

Last week, Ceh and Massel had a heartfelt reunion with the Burlington firefighters and public safety telecommunicators who responded to the 911 call and performed the lifesaving rescue.

Earlier this year, the fire department began using a free mobile application called what3words to help emergency responders find callers in remote areas without a known or specific address, such as on a trail, in a forested area, park, parking lot or even in a large building such as an arena or community centre.

Residents are encouraged to download the app to mobile devices so public safety telecommunicators can quickly identify your location down to a three metre square area during an emergency. The app can work offline or in areas with poor reception.

For those without the app, the fire department can send a text message to 911 callers with a web link to direct emergency responders to your exact location.