iPhone Emergency SOS helps save snowboarder’s life – Here’s how to enable it

Last year, a runner’s Apple Watch detected a hard fall and sent notifications to his emergency contacts. Similarly, a mountain biker in Washington state crashed his bike, and his Apple Watch sent out destress notifications.

But it is not just your Apple Watch that can help. A New Jersey resident knocked her head on a metal pipe and, after regaining consciousness, used her Apple AirPods to call for help through Siri.

If you ever find yourself in a dire situation, you should use Apple’s Emergency SOS feature. Read on to see how it saved a snowboarder’s life and directions to enable it yourself.

Here’s the backstory

Trekking up mountains to reach the perfect launching spot for downhill snowboarding can be dangerous. Nobody knows this better than personal trainer Tim Blakey. He pushed off for a solo descent on a recent trip to Switzerland’s glaciers near Zermatt but quickly encountered trouble.

He fell into a hidden crevasse at around 10,000 feet above sea level, luckily landing on a snow bridge 16 feet from the surface. According to Australia’s 7 News, he only had 3% battery remaining on his iPhone and was running out of options.

In a lightbulb moment, he remembered that the iPhone has an Emergency SOS function which will send notifications to emergency contacts with his precise location. First responders showed up not long after, treated his broken ankle and airlifted him to a hospital.

What you can do about it

You must set up the Emergency SOS function ASAP if you have an iPhone. Make sure that your contacts are up to date.

Emergency SOS will call the local emergency number and alert your emergency contacts via text message when activated. The messages include your current location and updates when you move. But first, here’s how you add emergency contacts:

  1. Open the Health app and tap your profile picture > Medical ID.
  2. Select Edit, then scroll to Emergency Contacts.
  3. Tap the Add emergency contact button, then select a contact. Add their relationship.
  4. Hit Done to confirm your changes.

These people will get notifications when you experience an emergency. Here’s how to use the feature.

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Apple’s technology is often credited for saving people’s lives. An elderly New Jersey resident, for example, hit her head earlier this year while no one else was around. Unable to move, she dialed 911 through her Apple AirPods and Siri.

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🎮 Next-level rage: A 20-year-old gamer flew from New Jersey to Florida to try to kill another player. He showed up with a hammer after they fought in a game called ArcheAge. He’s been charged with attempted second-degree murder and armed burglary. Remember, someone who really wants to find you generally can because your private info is for sale online.

Amazon scam gets $100K from fire chief and Vietnam vet

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