A woman who was thrown from a horse after it bolted during a ride out has tragically died in hospital days later from her injuries.
Mandy Partland, 61, was airlifted to hospital after her husband Stephen raised the alarm to emergency services using the what3words app on his mobile phone.
He was able to direct emergency services, including the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire air ambulance, to the bridleway at Barnetby, North Lincolnshire, where she had taken her horse for a walk, Grimsby Live reports.
Stephen was walking alongside her when the horse bolted throwing Mandy off of its back and causing a critical head injury, an inquest held at Cleethorpes Town Hall heard.
The experienced rider, with a passion for horses, was wearing a safety helmet but was knocked unconscious during the fall.
Using the app Stephen was able to direct an ambulance crew and then the air ambulance to the scene.
What3words can provide emergency services with precise locations of a contact - instead of 16-digit GPS co-ordinates, the app provides a three-word code.
Tragically Mandy died in hospital 12 days later despite surgery at the specialist neurosurgical unit in Hull.
Stephen and Mandy lived at Ashtree Close in Immingham.
He told the inquest how Mandy had worked in a horses' stable from a young age.
She later went on to be a police constable and later worked in a police control room before joining the Department for Work and Pensions.
Around 12 years ago Mandy had a fall from a horse and broke her pelvis and had not ridden for many years but she continued to visit stables and groomed horses.
On Saturday May 15 last year, she went to a friend's stables near Barnetby and took one of the horses for a ride. The couple planned to later go for a pub lunch.
Stephen told how he walked with the horse which quickened as they approached a slight rise in the bridleway. But it bolted and went over the rise.
He told the inquest he could hear Mandy shouting but by the time he caught up she was on the ground unconscious.
The horse ran off back to the stables.
Stephen rang 999 and was able to direct the ambulance crew to the scene using the app. The air ambulance arrived 10 minutes later.
Due to Covid restrictions in hospital, Stephen was only able to be by her side for one-hour visits twice in the week.
"I was able to be with her at the end," he told the hearing.
After the hearing Stephen told how the app had assisted with the response from emergency services.
He said: "I had no idea where we were. There was Kirmington quarry ahead and the railway line was nearby. But that was it. I had no way of letting them know where we were. We were in the middle of nowhere.
"At least it helped give me some time with her. All I had was two one-hour visits. All I wanted to do was to be with her. But the restrictions meant I couldn't be there.
"They did as much as they could. They are the experts."
Stephen said: "The app is great for locating places. We were in the middle of nowhere. People just need to get it on their phone. If it can help anyone else it is worth getting."
He told: "Mandy loved horses. She loved just mucking out and being around horsey people."
Assistant coroner, Marianne Johnson concluded the death was accidental due to a fall from a horse.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
