TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Members of Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2 saved a teenager at Lake Pflugerville Wednesday.

According to the agency, crews were conducting training drills on the lake when they heard a group of people yelling for help.

A team of firefighters, EMTs and paramedics rushed over and helped a bystander pull an unconscious teen from the water.

Crews performed CPR on the teen and took them to the hospital.

The agency says the training drills it was conducting at the time of the rescue were part of annual training to “further prepare for potential drowning-related EMS emergencies.”

“A for-real drowning occurred 100 yards away from where our crews were conducting the training session. Those crews immediately went out of training mode into response mode,” said Asst. Chief Mark Moellenberg.

The teen is going to be okay.

Getting to water emergencies more quickly

As we know, most near-drownings do not happen within earshot of first responders.

A mobile app called What3Words helps emergency crews pinpoint your exact location. It works everywhere – even in the middle of the water.

“It literally does come down to seconds, it’s seconds that count,” said Capt. Christa Stedman with Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS).

What3Words is a map of the world broken down into 10-by-10 foot squares. Three words are assigned to each square, and it’s a pivotal tool for first responders right here in Austin because they can use those three words to pinpoint your exact location.

Captain Stedman says the county’s emergency communications center uses the app in-house as well. If 911 operators are on the phone with someone who does not have the app, they can text the caller a link that will generate the three words.