Lost hiker saved by iPhone flashlight app

One time when I was day hiking Mount Washington, I took a wrong turn at the top and went down the wrong way. I raced down the mountain, but still had to navigate some rough terrain for a few hours in the dark. This was the late nineties. I had a phone, but it didn't get coverage and phones back then didn't have a flash for light.

That was then, and this is now. Today, hiking in the woods is much safer thanks to improved cellular coverage and smartphones with apps. Based on this story from Jonathan Anker of HLNtv, I'm sure Christopher Tkacik of Maryland would agree.

Mr Tkacik was out walking his dog on New Years Eve when he got lost in the woods surrounding Catoctin Mountain. After several hours of wandering around, he used his iPhone to call for help. He was instructed to stay where he was and wait for rescue. To help the rescue team find him, he didn't start an old-fashioned fire; he used a flashlight app as a beacon to attract them to his location. Tkacik and his dog made it out of the woods without injury, and he was home in time to keep his New Year's Eve plans.