Saugeen Shores Police is spotlighting an app that shares specific locations to assist emergency responders, after an eventful response to a mental health crisis on Thursday.
According to police, officers responded to a call Thursday afternoon in relation to an indecent act on the Port Elgin Rail Trail. Police say they found a man "who was in an obvious state of crisis," swinging a large branch around and speaking incoherently.
The man reportedly took off when approached by officers, running through residential backyards, trails and wooded areas.
Staff members of the Town of Saugeen Shores flagged officers down, saying the man had entered the bush east of the Port Elgin Cemetery.
Officers located him down a steep embankment at the edge of Mill Creek, where he allegedly continued to "act in an erratic and concerning manner." Police said he removed his clothing, entered the river and began picking up and dropping large rocks.
According to police, after de-escalation tactics failed, a prolonged struggle ensued and a taser was deployed so that the man could be apprehended under the Mental Health Act.
Officers then used the What3Words app so that Paramedics, Saugeen Shores Fire Department and additional police could find them and assist in safely extracting the man from the ravine.
Police say the man was transported to the Southampton Hospital for a mental health assessment and that two officers sustained minor injuries.
