A man and his dog got lost while hiking at the Gambrill State Park in Maryland on New Year's Eve but were rescued by park police with the help of his iPhone, whose flashlight was used to signal his location.

Christopher Tkacik of Mount Airy and his dog Boo were unharmed when two park police officers spotted him from a helicopter while waving his iPhone with the flashlight app turned on. The police rappelled down the helicopter and guided Tkacik out of the park.

Tkacik had phoned 911 four hours earlier saying he was lost and park authorities sent the search and rescue helicopter to look for him. He was also able to send SMS to his wife around 5:23 p.m. to tell her that he was safe and that park police are on their way.
Tkacik and Boo got home around 9:30 p.m.

"Having a charged phone made a world of difference," says Tkacik, according to Fox News. "If I didn't have a phone, I would have been stuck really bad."

Tkacik added that it was a good thing that he had fully charged the iPhone and signal was available.

Ironically, it was the same smartphone that caused him and his dog to get lost in the woods. He claims the GPS and map apps indicated a wrong spot or were not helpful. After crossing the same creek four times, he called 911.

Because it was turning dark when the search and rescue began, the iPhone's flashlight became crucial in pinpointing his location.