'Twitter Rescue' Fails Snowboarding Music Man

Twitter leads to two men missing in Alps whiteout, one dead
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 4, 2009 3:57 AM CST
'Twitter Rescue' Fails Snowboarding Music Man
This undated screen shot shows Twitter, a short-message social networking site.   (AP Photo)

The first-ever "Twitter rescue" saved the life of a snowboarder in the Swiss Alps, but failed a 29-year-old British music entrepreneur whose body was found at the foot of a 66-foot cliff, reports the Daily Telegraph. Cheery "tweets" from a female companion noting "am having the best time here at Verbier" changed to panicked bulletins when Rob Williams and his pal, founders of Dolphin Music, went missing in a blizzard whiteout.

Searchers called the men's phones after finding their numbers through a Twitter request. Williams' business partner sent back GPS coordinates via his iPhone and was saved, but it was too late for Williams. Officials confirmed his death after the last tweet sent by a searcher: "Still looking for Rob. Will let everyone know as soon as we hear." (More Rob Williams stories.)

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