According to a report from The New York TimesSurvivors of a catastrophic avalanche near Lake Tahoe this week used iPhone satellite emergency SOS to stay in touch with first responders.
It’s the latest example of the life-saving impact of Apple’s emergency SOS and satellite features on the iPhone and Apple Watch.
Emergency SOS via satellite on iPhone and Apple Watch
Don O’Keefe, chief of law enforcement for the California Office of Emergency Services, says six avalanche survivors used an emergency SOS via satellite to stay in touch with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
“One of my staff communicated with one of the guides for four hours, feeding information back to the Nevada Sheriff’s Office and coordinating what rescues could be authorized,” O’Keefe said in a press release Wednesday. The skiers were part of a 15-member group on a multi-day trip through the Sierra Nevada mountains. While six survived, eight were killed. One person is still missing and presumed dead CNN.
Emergency SOS via satellite is supported on iPhone 14 or later, as well as on the Apple Watch Ultra 3. This feature is triggered when the user does not have a cellular or Wi-Fi connection and tries to contact emergency services.
The user is then presented with a questionnaire that collects information about their emergency situation. Their iPhone will walk them through the process of where to point their iPhone or Apple Watch to connect to the satellite. This feature is free for two years after activation of iPhone 14 or later or Apple Watch Ultra 3.
The satellite connection on the iPhone and Apple Watch can also be used to send iMessages and SMS messages, as well as share your location with Find Me.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen countless examples of emergency SOS via satellite saving lives:
Apple has a detailed support document on how to use the satellite features on the iPhone and Apple Watch. I recommend reading it and trying the demo feature in the Settings app. You never know when you’ll need these features.
My Favorite iPhone Accessories:
Watch Chance: Threads, Bluesky, Instagram and Mastodon.
FTC: We use automatic affiliate links with income. More.
