A DOG WALKER who became stuck in a ditch says he was rescued thanks to smartphone technology.

Jamie Leong and his wife Amy were walking their neighbour’s dog when Jamie slipped and plunged into an irrigation ditch.

As he fell, the 38-year-old, said he felt something “snap” and instantly realised he was in trouble.

The Argus: Jamie was rescued by the Sussex Hazardous Area Response Team.Jamie was rescued by the Sussex Hazardous Area Response Team.

He said: “It was very muddy and boggy so we were trying to avoid the mud. I was walking on a hardened mud area and my left leg slipped away from me and, as it did, my shin snapped and my ankle caught something else and snapped the other way, all in one motion.

“Next thing I know, I’m lying in a muddy irrigation ditch, probably as high as it was deep.”

Amy, helped by passersby, was able to keep him comfortable for an hour and a half until emergency services arrived.

Using the smartphone mobile app What3Words, Sussex Hazard Area Response Team and the ambulance service were able to find Jamie’s exact location near Oat Hill Farm in Burgess Hill.

The Argus: Jamie is now awaiting surgery at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. Jamie is now awaiting surgery at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

The app divides the world up into 57 trillion 10ft by 10ft squares. Each square has a unique, individual “address” which is made up of three random words.

Using the codewords provided by the app, Jamie was able to give the emergency services his exact location.

He said: “Getting to me was really difficult – it was nearly a helicopter job. The area was completely inaccessible. Without the app it would have been extremely difficult to describe where we were.”

The Hazard Area Response Team was able to get Jamie out of the ditch using a small off-road vehicle before he was taken by ambulance to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

There Jamie found out he had broken his left leg in four places

He said the accident, which happened on Saturday, January 9, meant he needed full corrective surgery.

He said: “I thought I was doing the neighbours a favour to be honest.

“They’ve just had a baby so I thought ‘I need to get out today so I’ll walk their dog and save them the bother.’

“It just seems spectacular. I fell sideways and have done this tremendous damage to myself.”